Google accused of abuse of power over search monopoly

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   PaulGoodman67posted 13 months ago

   Let's hope something good comes out of this. The online world was a better place when there was competition and not a virtual monopoly by a single search engine.
   
   It's particularly problematic because Google has its fingers in so many other pies, including advertising, and so can use its dominance for its own ends.
   
   Some people, especially in the US, will say that corporations should not be regulated. However, no regulation means monopolies and that means no competition.
   
   Capitalism and free markets rely on competition to function in a healthy way. Google's domination is not healthy. The Big G skewers the system and makes it harder for smaller companies and content creators to operate.
   
   Link below:
   
   Google accused of abuse of power over search monopoly

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      Jan Stepanposted 13 months agoin reply to this

      This is indeed very interesting and can determine a lot in the digital world in years to come. I am following.

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      Kenna McHughposted 13 months agoin reply to this

      I would like to see Google get some competition.

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      Miebakagh57posted 13 months agoin reply to this

      I don't think Google is  a search monopoly.
      
      Has anyone not tried 'Bing' yet?
      
      And they're other search boots.

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         Jan Stepanposted 13 months agoin reply to this

         We say "google it" instead of "search for it". I think that represents well how massively big Google is and how predominant its position is in the digital world.
         
         But Bing seems to be a good search engine. And from what I understand, it's recently getting "up to speed" as well.
         
         It will be very intriguing to follow this and see what the hierarchy will look like in a few years.

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            Miebakagh57posted 13 months agoin reply to this

            But not everyone is saying 'Google it'. That's a specific phrase.
            
            Some say 'enter ait' in your browser and go or search.
            
            That from basic Economics tells me Google, is not a monopoly. Other search engines are on stream to a limited extend.

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               PaulGoodman67posted 13 months agoin reply to this

               As of August 2023, according to Stat Counter Gobal Stats, Google search has 89.04% of the search market in the USA.
               
               Bing is the closest rival but just has 6.35%. Yahoo is third with 2.4%
               
               I'm not sure what eccentric thinking process or school of "basic Economics" is being employed to interpret the data as anything other than indicating a virtual monopoly. Google dominates and the others pick up the crumbs.

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                  Miebakagh57posted 13 months agoin reply to this

                  I agree with you that Google virttualy dominated the search engine. But as you ha've noted other search boots stream along side with Google in a competitive manner. So Google don't have a 'monopoly' in the real  sense of the world.                                      And yes, apart from internet explorer (Edge), firefox, yahoo, bing, 5 native browsers, they're many others paid browsers, that no rating has taken note. These are also virtual.                                       For Google to be a monopolistic, it must be the only producer in that market. But it's not.

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                     PaulGoodman67posted 13 months agoin reply to this

                     Total monopolies, which I'm guessing is what you mean by "real," generally only exist where all the alternatives are outlawed, which rarely happens in liberal capitalist societies.
                     
                     I used the phrase "virtual monopoly" which (perhaps paradoxically) is actually a real thing.

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                        Miebakagh57posted 13 months agoin reply to this

                        You're welcome.

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                           PaulGoodman67posted 13 months agoin reply to this

                           I think you're interpretation of the concept is too literal. The term "monopoly" is generally used in a broader sense in economics and other instances.
                           
                           When people talk about Putin having a "monopoly of power" in Russia, for instance, they don't mean that voters can't theoretically vote for other parties, they can. They mean that he's created an insurmountable position.
                           
                           There's essentially just an illusion of genuine choice. Anyone who threatens the top dog is undermined or destroyed.
                           
                           Google do it through a variety of means, one is the control of the advertising market and revenue.

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                  eugbugposted 13 months agoin reply to this

                  And I'm sure some of the websites that rank above us pay Google to be in the top positions, irrespective of what Google says. And I don't mean ads for sites in the results.

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            eugbugposted 13 months agoin reply to this

            And I've found personally, they feature some of my articles and have them listed high up in the SERPs.

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         eugbugposted 13 months agoin reply to this

         Google pay $10 billion annually to be default search engine used in browsers supplied on devices.  So for instance even if a browser such as Firefox is used, it's the Google search engine behind the scenes that's doing the work.

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   Solarasposted 13 months ago

   This is something I have complained of for years.  It is about time the antitrust folks took a look at them. Who remembers Microsoft's Internet Explorer? It can and has been done.
   
   The EU is going to make it illegal to preload software on cell phones.  People will have to give it some thought and make choices, before downloading their search engine options.

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   eugbugposted 13 months ago

   Hopefully. I remember in the late 90s, I never used Google for search. The homepage was so bland. Yahoo was my search engine of choice and the homepage always had useful information like the latest news stories, weather etc.

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   tsmogposted 13 months ago

   The question may be "Why is Google chosen as a search engine"? Below is an article from SemRush titled: 21 Best Search Engines in the World [2023] (July 25, 2023). So, as most know, there are choices. There is a  short paragraph or two for each possible choice.
   
   https://www.semrush.com/blog/search-engine-list/

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      PaulGoodman67posted 13 months agoin reply to this

      Google uses underhand means to scupper its rivals and keep them from becoming serious competitors in lucrative markets like North America and Western Europe.
      
      The search part of the business is a means to an end. Areas like advertising are where it makes the big money. This has many effects, including distorting the search results it gives.
      
      Search engines and social media operate as the gatekeepers of financial success on the internet, as they can make or break companies and individuals.

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         tsmogposted 13 months agoin reply to this

         I agree pretty much with that perspective while also accepting that it can be identified as a monopoly to some extent. I don't know what formally declaring them as such will garner. Break them up somehow?
         
         Curious I found an interesting article following. Yet, with what I have on my plate today I will put it on my back burner.
         
         Google Business Model by The Business Model Analyst (Aug 30, 2023)
         https://businessmodelanalyst.com/google-business-model/

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            PaulGoodman67posted 13 months agoin reply to this

            Yes, break them up. Make the search engine fairer by dividing it from the advertising business would be a start. It would benefit everyone, aside from Google's profits.
            
            All capitalist countries that I'm aware of have laws against monopolies.
            
            Culturally, though, the USA is more sympathetic to corporate dominance than, say, Western European countries.
            
            Ironically, however, being too laissez-faire often actually leads to less competition and choice.

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      Miebakagh57posted 13 months agoin reply to this

      Thank you, tsmog. Your link give us the 2! best internet browsers. This means 100 can exit. And regularly new browsers are coming into the market.                                              All these offers an array of useful search results relating to the needs of the searcher.                                           I think many here will agree without Google, they shouldn't be any search engine. But that's not correct. But whether the dummy on which internet explorer, and the first five, modeled their browsers, is still in use by any one, that I don't know.

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   eugbugposted 13 months ago

   In other news, they're at it again with the algorithm updates.

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      Jan Stepanposted 13 months agoin reply to this

      Well, at least nobody can say that they aren't productive.

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   tsmogposted 13 months ago

   Discovering an article about Google and the anti-trust lawsuit with the DOJ in my email box today I thought I would share it with interested parties. It mentioned Google with a connection to Apple as a key. The article states; "The DOJ claims that Google and Apple will harm consumers with the possibility they could exploit their dominant positions." The cause is that Google is preloaded on Apple products as a default. That supports what Eubug mentioned.
   
   Another element is what is known as the Consumer Welfare Standard. One quote is: "For decades the consumer welfare standard has been the primary basis on which antitrust enforcement decisions are made. That standard asks about the effect actions and market dominance have on actual consumers. Despite this long tradition, the Biden administration is bringing its first major tech antitrust case in U.S. v. Google and their approach will deemphasize the consumer welfare standard.
   
   Here is the link to the article. An interesting read.
   
   The DOJ's Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google Is a Loser for Consumers by Reason (Sept 15, 2023)
   The subtitle is . . . Despite years of Google primacy over Microsoft Bing, usage of Bing has more than doubled over the past three years and continues to grow.
   https://reason.com/2023/09/15/the-dojs- … consumers/
   
   One could question, is this because Bing is a default search engine with Microsoft products?
   
   For a deep dive into the Consumer Welfare Standard use this link:
   
   Why the Consumer Welfare Standard Is the Backbone of Antitrust Policy
   https://www.americanactionforum.org/ins … st-policy/

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      PaulGoodman67posted 13 months agoin reply to this

      Google paying Apple and other companies for using their products as defaults is part of the action. They use their wealth and influence to suppress competitors.
      
      I'm more focused on the search engine and advertising aspect of Google because that directly affects HP writers and anyone who publishes online.
      
      Microsoft have also used some of the same tactics as Google in the past. That doesn't make it a good excuse. Microsoft was taken to task back in '98.

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