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Finally, Cicilline asked whether Pichai would rule out "launching a tool for surveillance and censorship in China." Pichai's answer said nothing and everything all at once.

"We have a stated mission of providing users with information, and so we always think it’s in our duty to explore possibilities to give users access to information," Pichai said. "I have a commitment, but as I’ve said earlier on this, we’ll be very thoughtful and we’ll engage widely as we make progress."

It's the kind of non-answer on an issue of international human rights that ought to demand further questions from lawmakers, particularly lawmakers who purport to be concerned about censorship and surveillance. Too bad Republicans and Democrats of the House Judiciary Committee were too busy battling each other to notice.