East Michigan News

A bipartisan effort was made by Chairman Moolenaar and Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi of the U.S. House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. They sent a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, commending Google's use of artificial intelligence (AI) to combat scams linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The lawmakers stated that "Google plays a critical role in defending users against these harmful digital activities, many of which are actively orchestrated or deliberately enabled by entities, including criminal enterprises, with concerning ties to the CCP."

The letter highlighted scams such as “pig butchering” and tech support scams, noting that they can severely impact the financial well-being and emotional health of vulnerable Americans. The lawmakers expressed concern about scams originating from malicious ads or deceptive pop-ups within web browsers.

It was noted that “transnational criminal organizations are perpetrating a massive fraud on the American people, causing billions in losses annually,” with pig butchering scams contributing significantly to an estimated $10 billion in crypto fraud in 2024.

The letter sought information from Google regarding updates on technologies used to block malicious ads and browser-based tech support scams linked to CCP-related enterprises. It also asked about AI-driven filtering capabilities within Google Chrome, steps taken to reduce malicious advertisements on Google’s platforms, and Google's collaboration with federal law enforcement.

The letter concluded: “Congress must and will continue to stand up for older Americans and others who are victimized by these CCP-linked scammers. And we appreciate Google’s continued partnership and leadership with respect to these efforts.”