Anti-competitive Google

Attorneys general from 38 states, including Pennsylvania, have filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google alleging anti-competitive practices.

It s the third lawsuit filed against Google since October. Facebook is also facing a pair of lawsuits alleging the company has become a monopoly. Apple and Amazon have encountered probes as well, reflecting serious concern among lawmakers and in the public regarding tech s influence on information and commerce.

What exactly does the new suit allege?

This newest antitrust suit argues that the tech giant is favoring its own products over competitors in search results and unfairly driving up digital advertising prices, placing a golden finger on the scale.

Google is, primarily, a search engine, a service that connects people with information and services. As the default search engine for 80% of web browsers, however, Google s power is immeasurable.

You see what Google wants you to see.

That might sound nefarious, but Google has defended itself against claims of censorship and privileging some information and companies by insisting that search results are determined by a faceless, constantly improving algorithm.

An algorithm may not be anti-competitive, but Google has long used contractors to cull search results and help weight certain results above others as well. And of course, the code s metrics are set by people with their own agendas and biases.

The extent and precise nature of such gatekeeping is a closely held secret in Silicon Valley.

via www.msn.com

It’s hard to see what would be so bad about six or seven Googles. It worked out ok with phones.