Peter Thiel reportedly says the FBI and CIA should investigate Google

Billionaire investor Peter Thiel stated Sunday that the FBI and the CIA should investigate if Google has been infiltrated by Chinese intelligence, in line with a report from Axios.

Thiel, a Facebook board member, was talking at the National Conservatism Conference in Washington, D.C. and his speech centered on three questions that should be introduced to the tech big, Axios stated.

“Number one, how many foreign intelligence agencies have infiltrated your Manhattan Project for AI (artificial intelligence)?” Thiel reportedly requested. “Number two, does Google’s senior management consider itself to have been thoroughly infiltrated by Chinese intelligence?”

He stated these questions “need to be asked by the FBI, by the CIA.”

Thiel additionally blasted Alphabet-owned Google for its work in China.

“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 US military,” Thiel stated, in line with Axios.

Google didn’t instantly reply to CNBC’s request for feedback.

Last 12 months, Google got here below fireplace after it was revealed that the firm was engaged on a controversial venture to launch a censored search service in China. 

It was stated to be an try and get again into the nation’s net search market following years of absence. Hundreds of workers protested in opposition to the venture, often called Dragonfly. A report final December stated Google had ended its work on the search venture.

Another report stated Google wouldn’t renew a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense that expired earlier this 12 months. The partnership was stated to assist the Pentagon analyze and interpret drone movies by way of synthetic intelligence.

Read the full Axios report about Peter Thiel’s criticism of Google right here.