CHARLES: TOMORROW WILL BE A HUGE
HISTORIC DAY, AMAZON CEO
JEFF BEZOS, FACEBOOK MARK
ZUCKERBERG, SUNDAR SUNDAY PICHAI
AND TIM COOK OF APPLE.
HOW THIS HEARING GOES AND
WHETHER CONGRESS HAS THE
CONFIDENCE TO REGULATE THESE
GIANTS WILL DETERMINE WHETHER
AMERICA WILL BE SELF-GOVERNING
DEMOCRACY.
I WANT TO BRING IN IWF POLICY
ANALYST, PATRICE LEE ON WALK
CAN.
I HAVE TO MENTION IT, IWF IS
RECIPIENT OF CONTRIBUTIONS FROM
GOOGLE.
AND YOU’RE ON THE LIST AS AN
INFLUENCER FOR GOOGLE.
WANT TO MAKE SURE THE AUDIENCE
UNDERSTANDS THAT, FULL
DISCLOSURE.
ARE THE STAKES THAT HIGH?
IS DEMOCRACY, IS AMERICA IN
ITSELF AT STAKE TOMORROW?
>> WELL, I THINK YOU CAN LOOK AT
IT AND SAY PERHAPS.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE VALUE, WHAT
TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES, THESE
LARGE PLATFORMS CREATE FOR OUR
ECONOMY, FOR INDEPENDENT
CONSUMERS, HOW THEY HAVE
ACTUALLY HELPED US TO GET
THROUGH COVID-19, KEEPING SMALL
BUSINESSES AFLOAT AND AMERICANS
ABLE TO GET PPE, TO GET
GROCERIES DELIVERED AT HOME,
WHEN THEY WERE SHELTERED IN
PLACE, IT SPEAKS TO THE SIZE AND
IMPORTANCE OF TECH COMPANIES.
WHEN YOU’RE BRINGING HEADS OF
THESE PLATFORMS TO WASHINGTON,
D.C. TO GRILL THEM LIKE STEAKS,
YOU KNOW, WITH THE INTENSION OF
PROVING SOME SORT OF A ANTITRUST
BREACH, TO PROVING THEY ARE
SOMEHOW ENGAGED IN NEFARIOUS
PRACTICES TO SQUELCH
COMPETITION, CHARLES, I THINK
THAT IS THE END RESULT.
CHARLES: YEAH.
THERE IS THE TRADITIONAL SENSE
OF ANTITRUST WHERE, IT BECOMES
ANTI-COMPETITIVE AND WE’VE HEARD
MANY STORIES OF ALL OF THESE
COMPANIES, SOMEHOW TAKING
ADVANTAGE OF SMALLER COMPANIES,
EVEN THOSE THAT HAVE COME TO
THEIR AID, BUT THERE IS AN ADDED
PART TO THIS, PART OF INFLUENCE,
THE PART WHERE THEY CAN MAYBE
SWAY AN ELECTION.
THE PART OF DISCRIMINATION.
WHETHER IT IS CONSERVATIVES OR
WHATEVER.
THAT’S THE NUANCED PART OF THIS
ARGUMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, I’M NOT
SURE IF THAT LEADS TO BREAKING
THEM UP BUT EVERYONE IS UPSET AT
THIS, THESE COMPANIES FOR
DIFFERENT REASONS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THE LEFT SAYS IT IS ABOUT
ANTI-COMPETITION, ANTITRUST
ISSUES.
WELL THE RIGHT SAYS IT IS
ACTUALLY ABOUT CENSORSHIP OF
CONSERVATIVE AND PRO-TRUMP VOICE
S.
APPARENTLY TOMORROW’S HEARING
WILL STAY LASER FOCUSED ON A
ANTITRUST ISSUES.
I WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED IF YOU
SEE CONSERVATIVE LAWMAKERS RAISE
THOSE QUESTIONS.
THE MINDS OF MANY CONSERVATIVES,
ARE WILL I POST TWEET SOMETHING
OR POST SOMETHING ON FACEBOOK TO
HAVE IT CENSORED BECAUSE A MOB
FEELS I HAVE HATE SPEECH AND
SHUTS ME DOWN?
UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE SEEN A LOT
OF TECH COMPANIES, SOCIAL MEDIA
COMPANIES, STEP ON THOSE
LANDMINES.
CHARLES: IRONICALLY YOU WOULD
SAY THAT, TWITTER JUST
ANNOUNCING TODAY THAT IT LIMITED
DONALD TRUMP, JR.’S ACCOUNT FOR
12 HOURS, AFTER TWEETING OUT A
VIDEO FOR BEING USE OF
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THAT?
THEY HAVE BECOME AGGRESSIVE WITH
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS FAMILY?
>> THEY ARE.
PROBABLY UNFAIRLY SO.
I DO RECOGNIZE THAT THE TRUMPS
THEY CERTAINLY HAVE A VERY
MASSIVE FOLLOWING AND SO
ANYTHING, ANY INFORMATION OR ANY
SOURCES ANY VIDEOS THAT THEY PUT
OUT CERTAINLY GET SPREAD FAR AND
WIDE BUT THE ISSUE IS WHETHER
THE SAME ENERGY IS PUSHED
TOWARDS SOME OTHER PEOPLE ON THE
LEFT WHEN THEY TWEET OUT, YOU
KNOW, THINGS THAT ARE UNTRUE AND
INACCURATE, OR FRANKLY HATEFUL
TOWARDS CONSERVATIVES.
I DON’T THINK YOU SEE.
THAT WHICH IS WHERE THIS IDEA OF
BIAS AMONGST CONSERVATIVES COME
FROM.
>> THERE IS ISSUE OF SOMETIMES
YOU KNOW, THINGS BEING TRUTHFUL
AND MAYBE CONTROVERSIAL.
THANK YOU VERY PATRICE.
THIS IS THE FIRST SHOW YOU’VE
DONE SINCE YOU BECAME A NEW MOM.