Aug 28, 2018

Koch group says Trump shouldn't regulate Google

Charles Koch in 2015. Photo: Patrick T. Fallon for The Washington Post via Getty Images

A group affiliated with the Koch Network — owned by billionaire conservative brothers Charles and David Koch — said Tuesday that it would be a "reckless idea" for the Trump administration to slap new regulations on Google and other major tech companies.

Why it matters: The Kochs are major players in Republican politics who have also taken opportunities to distance themselves from President Trump.

What they're saying: "Regulating the results of Google or other tech companies is a reckless idea that would undermine essential elements of free speech," said Jim Fellinger, a spokesperson for Freedom Partners, in a statement. "Allowing the government to mandate the content that search engine providers display would set a dangerous precedent."

The Koch political network has at least one tie to larger tech companies: the Charles Koch Foundation is one of the funders of a Facebook effort to spur outside research on the impact of social media on elections.

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