Google’s empty chair at US Senate marks unforced error in D.C.

An empty chair reserved for Google's parent Alphabet, which refused to send its top executive, is seen as Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg accompanied by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on 'Foreign Influence Operations and Their Use of Social Media Platforms' on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, in Washington. Google CEO did not show for the hearing. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Google, faced with what may be the most intense political scrutiny in the company's 20-year history, decided to pass on a chance to defend itself in US Congress. 

A US Senate Intelligence Committee panel was convened Wednesday morning, the latest in a series of high-profile hearings on state-sponsored election meddling involving the largest technology platforms. Senior executives from Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc sat before the senators next to an empty chair marked “Google”.