WASHINGTON, USA – Today, chairman Moolenaar and Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi of the United States House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party sent a bipartisan letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai commending Google for its ongoing efforts to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to filter scam text messages and address the proliferation of malicious online advertisements and browser-based scams orchestrated by bad actors linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The lawmakers’ letter emphasizes 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 highlights that these scams, including “pig butchering”—where fraudsters build trust with victims, often romantically, then trick them into investing in fake cryptocurrency—and tech support scams, “can devastate the financial well-being and emotional health of vulnerable Americans.”
Lawmakers noted their particular concern about scams “that originate through malicious ads or deceptive pop-ups within web browsers,” which can trick individuals, especially seniors, into granting remote access to their computers or paying for unnecessary software.
The letter also underscores that “transnational criminal organizations are perpetrating a massive fraud on the American people, causing billions in losses annually,” with pig butchering scams alone contributing significantly to the estimated $10 billion in crypto fraud in 2024.
The letter requests information from Google on topics including:
- Updates on technologies Google is deploying to block malicious ads and browser-based tech support scams, particularly those linked to CCP-linked criminal enterprises;
- Development of AI-driven filtering and scam-detection capabilities within Google Chrome;
- Steps taken to reduce the prevalence of malicious advertisements on Google’s platforms; and
- Google’s engagement with federal law enforcement to protect Americans from CCP-linked scams.
The lawmakers conclude their letter by writing: “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.”
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