Ann Coulter Accuses Mike Lee of Flip-Flopping on Google After Company Expanded into Utah

Conservative firebrand Ann Coulter noted today on Twitter that Utah Senator Mike Lee had a sudden change of opinion about Google once the company expanded into his state.

Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) appeared on Fox News recently to discuss the issue of liberal tech companies encroaching on citizen’s freedom. Host Tucker Carlson discussed the growing list of issues with these tech companies saying, “it’s increasingly clear that tech giants are not just a threat to privacy, they are a threat to our basic American freedoms. For most people there’s not much you can do about it except get increasingly paranoid, Congress though can do a lot, it’s Congress after all.” Carlson then welcomed Lee who is the chairman of the subcommittee on antitrust competition, policy, and consumer rights.

Throughout the interview, Lee disagreed with Carlson’s assessment that large tech companies were now a bigger threat to citizens privacy than the government, and told Carlson if he had an issue with Google he could just “use another search engine.” Carlson argued that if he wants to find out information from the government he can simply use a FOIA request, whereas Google — which he describes as increasingly the “portal through which people understand reality” — has altered their search results to only return information they find amenable. Watch the full interview below:

Sen. Mike Lee ferociously defends Google on @TuckerCarlson No matter what Tucker said, his only response was "use another search engine." https://t.co/to0VtUGOB2

— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) January 11, 2018

Conservative author Ann Coulter noted Mike Lee’s hypocrisy in a recent tweet stating that Lee, “was once one of the biggest critics of Google. See this video of him grilling Eric Schmidt in 2011.” The video linked by Coulter features Lee harshly grilling former Google CEO Eric Schmidt about the company’s search results, particularly their Google Shopping feature which the company has faced harsh fines over in the European Union.

Sen. Mike Lee was once one of the biggest critics of Google. See this video of him grilling Eric Schmidt in 2011. https://t.co/LwGKZZStc6

— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) January 11, 2018

Coulter noted that Lee’s opinion of Google has shifted massively from 2011 to 2018 and that this happens to coincide with Google setting up their Google Fiber internet connection service, which offers gigabit internet at affordable prices, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Then in 2016, Google Fiber expanded into Salt Lake City. Now, @SenMikeLee has no complaints with Google. https://t.co/r6aLKDLVvf

— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) January 11, 2018