Larry Page is the co-founder of Google - © 2013 Bloomberg Finance LP

An empty chair with Google’s name on it could take centre stage during a tech company grilling in Washington DC on Wednesday after the company's co-founder Larry Page refused to attend.

Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey and Facebook number two, Sheryl Sandberg, will testify in front of the US Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on social media and Russian and Iranian election meddling on Wednesday.

But Google volunteered its top lawyer Kent Walker instead of sending one of its executives - an offer that the committee has declined.

Vice chair Senator Mark Warner, an early investor in a number of technology companies with a background in telecommunications, said Google’s refusal to send their number one could cost Google in the long run.

“Chances are we're going to have an empty chair there and I think there will be a lot more questions raised that could have been actually dealt with if they'd send a senior decision maker and not simply their counsel,” he told CNBC. Mr Warner's press secretary said on Tuesday there had been no changes.

....results on “Trump News” are from National Left-Wing Media, very dangerous. Google & others are suppressing voices of Conservatives and hiding information and news that is good. They are controlling what we can & cannot see. This is a very serious situation-will be addressed!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 28, 2018

Ms Sandberg and Mr Dorsey will be expected to explain how they are curbing bots, disinformation and improving transparency surrounding adverts bought up by foreign states with the purpose of disrupting democracy. It follows revelations that Russian and Iranian entities were able to use their services to manipulate US voters, as well as allegedly interfering in the EU referendum.

Google’s no-show will be the latest publicity hiccup for the search giant, which has largely remained unscathed in social media giant’s fall from grace thanks to Russian bots and data privacy debacles. Last week it felt the wrath of US president Donald Trump, who accused the company of left-wing bias.

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Trump claimed Google had suppressed positive news stories about his tenure. Last Tuesday he tweeted: “In other words, they have it RIGGED, for me & others, so that almost all stories & news is BAD.” Trump later said that the alleged issue would be “addressed”.

It also faces internal and external outrage over its plans to open a censored search engine in China, which would have formed the basis of many questions on Wednesday’s hearing.

A Google spokesman said it would be sending Mr Walker to Washington "where he will deliver written testimony, brief Members of Congress on our work, and answer any questions they have".