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IPFS News Link • Lawsuits

Tulsi Gabbard sues Google over censorship claims

• https://thehill.com, BY EMILY BIRNBAUM

In a federal complaint filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Gabbard alleged Google censored her presidential campaign when it suspended their advertising account for several hours last month. 

A Google spokeswoman pushed back on Gabbard's claims in a statement to The Hill, attributing the brief suspension to sudden "large spending changes" that set off Google's automated systems.

"We have automated systems that flag unusual activity on all advertiser accounts – including large spending changes – in order to prevent fraud and protect our customers," the spokeswoman said.

"In this case, our system triggered a suspension and the account was reinstated shortly thereafter."

Gabbard's lawsuit marks the first time a presidential contender has sued a large technology company over such claims.

The Hawaii Democrat's principal campaign committee, Tulsi Now Inc., is suing Google, accusing it of violating her First Amendment rights along with a litany of violations under California law.


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