Is Google too big?

Folsom

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Hey everyone... I'm hoping the maturity I've seen on this board the last year will keep this topic from spiraling too fast. I suspect that it will probably get locked, and I encourage that, actually. My intent is simply to inform people about what Google is doing, not discuss the topics in it, and talk about whether it's ok or not.

When a company is half or more of the countries source for searching, emails, and to a lesser extent texts & other things... do they really have the right to try an influence our election outcomes? When does a private company start being responsible to the public as a whole - do they ever? It's easy to side with them if they're on your side of a political agenda, but that may not be the case tomorrow - is that ok?

Here's the link, I don't think it'll inject itself into the media thing.

Personally I think once a company gets so large and integrated it needs to come to some terms as a public entity. It might be private, but it may as well also be considered a utility at some point. The internet is one of those things, we can't really do without it in the modern world - so I think that companies providing it should be regulated to not be skeezy scum bags who throttle you, misrepresent what you get, sell your information, prioritize anything but government traffic, etc... But I'm not sure where to land on the unanimous search and email system of the world. People can choose something else, but for most purposes Google has vastly out competed everyone else. The company does an amazing job of a plethora of things, there is no doubt, so where should a line be draw - should it? - between their dominance as a private company and the health of our countries integrity for checks, balances, democracy, so forth?
 

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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Google is too big
Facebook is too big
Youtube is too big
Big tech is already starting to censor free speech
So, unless you're totally at one w the politically correct agendas out there, your days are numbered
 
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NorthStar

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Feb 8, 2011
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Just wait till Libra (Facebook's own Bitcoin) gets into effect.
It already has.

Google is doing just fine, so is YouTube. IMO, YMMV, all that Jazz.

5G should be fun ...
 

Folsom

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Marc, there have been several cases of employees being censored that were on the side of politically correct recently.

It seems like all speech that isn't corporate kosher is endangered. How do we deal with that as the populous of our own countries? How should they be intervened on if they should?

One big problem is whatever one countries most strict ruling is, it tends to apply to all countries. Let me tell you, the US and other countries aren't exactly thrilled that EU made it so we have to click OK on every website for cookies; and are not thrilled that YouTube demonetized/destroyed channels left and right because of EU law. They aren't our laws, but they're the most strict, so they companies make them the standard. Is that our path forward?
 

GSOphile

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Although I am a believer in free markets, I am also concerned with what's being disseminated by these guys. But regulation also means some body is deciding what's allowed and what's not. What body would you trust? Probably not the company being regulated, but a government entity? Selected by whom?
 
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spiritofmusic

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I'm sorry because the NO POLITICS! warning is coming, but the push to exclude libertarian and alt right info is underway.

These companies, rather than preserving the torch of free speech are conspiring to snuff it out.
 
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Folsom

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Yes Marc, but what do you think should be done about it? They’re corporatists at heart. So today they are censoring them, tomorrow it could anything else. They’ve already been hiring people that participated in protests on the opposite side for other subjects.

The question is how do we make them not like a tyrant sub-ruler to existing countries/US, or do we do nothing?
 

spiritofmusic

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I really don't know. Breaking them up would seem to be the solution, but how?

I do find it truly ironic that the internet which on paper is an egalitarian concept, has allowed monopolisation of it's function via one or two companies.

Then again, I'm biased, I absolutely hate all the new anti competitive corporations incl Amazon, Uber etc.
 

spiritofmusic

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I have heard that Trump is seriously looking at measures to break Google and FB monopolisation of things, by encouraging market competition.

It can't come soon enough. I predict these corporations will skew visibility and freedom of speech of all alt right viewpoints incl pro Trump and pro Brexit soon enough.

I mean if you don't subscribe to the Left liberal worldview, your views are too dangerous to publish.
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Just a suggestion as you guys are now beginning to tread a fine line.

Tough not to bring politics into this but please remember..............we just don't talk politics, religion or guns here
 
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spiritofmusic

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Steve, my comments are borne of Google having pretty much the monopoly of information dissemination on the WWW.

Like any other corporate situation, this has led to massive disadvantages for the consumer.

I run a small business. Luckily I have no gripe w Google, but I know a colleague who has. He has a nightmare relationship w Google, and he has no way to rectify matters.

I would hate to fall foul of any of the monopolistic monoliths. Any dispute w Google, FB, Amazon, Uber, must be an impossible task to solve.

And there is objective evidence that whole areas of free speech are being deemed hate speech, w no recourse to appeal. Nothing political in this, Google and FB are quite proud to present this brave new world.

Then again, try to address online terrorist grooming, pro suicide and pro anorexia websites, date rape exposures, violent Drill videos, and the corporations are unbelievably slow in acting.
 

spiritofmusic

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And don't get me started on Amazon (and EBay to some extent) and the death of retail and the high street.
 

Folsom

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What would breaking them up look like? I’m not sure it seems like a solution to me, but maybe I just can’t see it?
 

BlueFox

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Nov 8, 2013
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The only thing about Google that bothers me is not their size, but that they track your searches. Never use the other companies mentioned.

The stupid political blabbering by the usual suspect is, as always, out of bounds.
 

NorthStar

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The public, us, we decide. Everyone else, them, they decide the same or not the same, it's up to us, up to them, up to how the world we create works.

Google, Facebook, Microsoft, ...they want to sue them, others don't.
We are controlling our own destiny, nobody else.
 

Folsom

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Do not allow network platform companies to sell or control advertising.

Ok, if that is the route, how do they make money to continue existence?

Does this mean they can't use algorithms to influence searches since everything is ultimately tied to money?

Right now they make money on some advertising, but they've transitioned heavily into selling information.
 

tima

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Mar 3, 2014
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Ok, if that is the route, how do they make money to continue existence?

Does this mean they can't use algorithms to influence searches since everything is ultimately tied to money?

Right now they make money on some advertising, but they've transitioned heavily into selling information.

I am not a lawyer or an expert on this topic.

Treat them like a utility - something like a public service commission sets the rates and regulates activity. The electric company does not get to choose their customers or sell different quality electricity based on, for example, religious affiliation.

The network platform sells subscriptions to their search service or social media platform or whatever and they are not allowed to collect, sell or use subscriber data except for operational purposes, they are not allowed to manipulate content. Competition needs encouragement,. anti-competitive practices dissallowed, anti-trust laws applied. They are not immune to class-action.

I'm sure there is flaw in this, there is no perfect solution.
 

KeithR

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I think every search resulting in all of the Google-owned brands at the top of the search results is monopolistic. There is a good 60 Minutes on them a year ago.
 

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