Trump says administration will ‘take a look’ after Thiel raises concerns about Google, China

President Trump on Tuesday morning said his administration will “take a look” after billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel called for a federal investigation into Google for its alleged ties to China.

“Billionaire Tech Investor Peter Thiel believes Google should be investigated for treason. He accuses Google of working with the Chinese Government,” Trump tweeted. “A great and brilliant guy who knows this subject better than anyone! The Trump Administration will take a look!”

“Billionaire Tech Investor Peter Thiel believes Google should be investigated for treason. He accuses Google of working with the Chinese Government.” @foxandfriends  A great and brilliant guy who knows this subject better than anyone! The Trump Administration will take a look!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 16, 2019 

Thiel, a Facebook board member and adviser to Trump, reportedly said at a conference on Sunday that the CIA and FBI should ask Google three questions about its relationship with the Chinese military.

“Number one, how many foreign intelligence agencies have infiltrated your Manhattan Project for AI?” he asked. “Number two, does Google’s senior management consider itself to have been thoroughly infiltrated by Chinese intelligence?”{mosads}

He concluded: “Number three, is it because they consider themselves to be so thoroughly infiltrated that they have engaged in the seemingly treasonous decision to work with the Chinese military and not with the U.S. military?”

Thiel reportedly questioned if Google is “making the sort of bad, short-term rationalistic [decision] that if the technology doesn’t go out the front door, it gets stolen out the back door anyway.” He was likely referencing Google’s work in China, which was recently criticized by top defense officials speaking before Congress.

While Google says it is no longer working to create a search engine for China, it still has some work in the country.

Trump has previously attacked Google, saying in June that Facebook and Google should be sued over alleged bias toward conservatives.