Washington, D.C. — On Thursday, Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) filed a federal lawsuit alleging that tech giant Google infringed on her free speech when it paused her campaign’s advertising account for six hours after the Democratic presidential debate on June 28.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Los Angeles. It is believed to be the first time a presidential candidate has sued a major technology company.

“Google’s discriminatory actions against my campaign are reflective of how dangerous their complete dominance over internet search is, and how the increasing dominance of big tech companies over our public discourse threatens our core American values,” Gabbard said in a statement. “This is a threat to free speech, fair elections and to our democracy, and I intend to fight back on behalf of all Americans.”  

After the June debate, Gabbard was one of the top searches on Google. According to Politico, Gabbard’s campaign decided it was an optimal time to take advantage of her popularity on Google and buy search ads.

Gabbard’s attorney Brian Dunne explained via Politico: “Just as her Google traffic was spiking, her Google ad account was taken offline.”

Read more at Salon.com