Google pushed back against claims from left-wing media on Saturday after certain publications and journalists falsely claimed that President Donald Trump lied when he said that Google was building a national website to track cases of coronavirus.
“I want to thank Google,” Trump said during a press conference on Friday. “Google is helping to develop a website. It’s going to be very quickly done, unlike websites of the past, to determine whether a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location.”
Google Communications initially released a statement on Friday from Verily, a company that is owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet.
“We are developing a tool to help triage individuals for Covid-19 testing. Verily is in the early stages of development, and planning to roll testing out in the Bay Area, with the hope of expanding more broadly over time,” Google Communications tweeted. “We appreciate the support of government officials and industry partners and thank the Google engineers who have volunteered to be part of this effort.”
“We appreciate the support of government officials and industry partners and thank the Google engineers who have volunteered to be part of this effort."
— Google Communications (@Google_Comms) March 13, 2020
Left-wing media immediately pounced, claiming that Trump lied and that there was no website being built by Google.
Then, on Saturday, Google released it’s own statement stating that it was in fact building a national website to track the coronavirus.
“We are fully aligned and continue to work with the US Government to contain the spread of COVID-19, inform citizens, and protect the health of our communities,” Google tweeted. “Google is partnering with the US Government in developing a nationwide website that includes information about COVID-19 symptoms, risk and testing information.”
“Google is partnering with the US Government in developing a nationwide website that includes information about COVID-19 symptoms, risk and testing information. (2/6)
— Google Communications (@Google_Comms) March 15, 2020
“This is in addition to other measures we are taking, including: a Google ‘home page promotion’ to promote greater awareness of simple measures citizens can take to prevent the spread of the disease,” Google continued. “Work being done by our sister company Verily to launch a pilot website that will enable individuals to do a risk assessment and be scheduled for testing at sites in the Bay Area.”
“Work being done by our sister company Verily to launch a pilot website that will enable individuals to do a risk assessment and be scheduled for testing at sites in the Bay Area; (4/6)
— Google Communications (@Google_Comms) March 15, 2020
“Promoting authoritative information through Google Search and YouTube; taking measures to protect users from misinformation, including phishing, conspiracy theories, malware and misinformation,” Google concluded. “Rolling out free access to our advanced Hangouts Meet video-conferencing capabilities to all G Suite and G Suite for Education customers globally until 7/01/20; advancing health research and science; and financially supporting global relief efforts.”
“Rolling out free access to our advanced Hangouts Meet video-conferencing capabilities to all G Suite and G Suite for Education customers globally until 7/01/20; advancing health research and science; and financially supporting global relief efforts.” – Google Spokesperson (6/6)
— Google Communications (@Google_Comms) March 15, 2020
Examples of those who pushed false claims surrounding Trump’s claim about Google include:
Charles Johnson: “So Trump just basically lied his ass off, dissed a black woman who asked a fair question, lied some more, got praised by Mike Pence, invented a Google coronavirus app that doesn’t exist, and shook everybody’s hand in the midst of a pandemic. The new normal.”
So Trump just basically lied his ass off, dissed a black woman who asked a fair question, lied some more, got praised by Mike Pence, invented a Google coronavirus app that doesn’t exist, and shook everybody’s hand in the midst of a pandemic.
The new normal.
— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) March 14, 2020
MSNBC producer Kyle Griffin: “Trump caught Google off guard with a bogus coronavirus site announcement. Google’s not making a nationwide coronavirus testing website. And the company had no idea the president would say it was.”
Trump caught Google off guard with a bogus coronavirus site announcement.
Google's not making a nationwide coronavirus testing website. And the company had no idea the president would say it was. https://t.co/eopL7awVs8— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) March 14, 2020
Leftist Harvard professor Laurence Tribe: “Among Trump’s most brazen lies was the whopper he told the nation about Google’s supposed plans for an all-purpose Coronavirus website. He just made the whole thing up as if nobody would bother checking — and as if he knew his credibility was zero anyway”
Among Trump’s most brazen lies was the whopper he told the nation about Google’s supposed plans for an all-purpose Coronavirus website. He just made the whole thing up as if nobody would bother checking — and as if he knew his credibility was zero anyway https://t.co/kf8s9SVFju
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) March 14, 2020
MSNBC writer David Gura: “President Trump and his advisers said Google was building a nationwide #COVID19 triage website. That’s not true. Verily is, and it is certainly not ready for prime time.”
President Trump and his advisers said Google was building a nationwide #COVID19 triage website.
That's not true.
Verily is, and it is certainly not ready for prime time. pic.twitter.com/Vj2THA7p9T
— David Gura (@davidgura) March 13, 2020