Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a public utility

Re:Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a... by o8r3oFTZPE on Wednesday June 09, 2021 @12:16PM (#27449668)

What if Google did not develop flight search but acquired it by buying someone out. What if they did not develop image search but acquired it by buying someone out. What if they did not develop the good-looking timer but copied it from someone else.

If Google was 100% responsible for developing everything they offer to consumers, then perhaps there is an argument that Google is good for consumers. However the truth is that Google Search is what they developed, it became the only search engine that most people use, and being a gateway tot he web and having the ability to spy on the world's web use is an unfair advantage that virtually no one else has.

Anything that becomes popular Google can gobble it up. Consumers cannot get superior direct benefits from non-Google companies for long. Google will acquire any such companies sooner than later.

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Re:Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a... by thebeardisred on Wednesday June 09, 2021 @12:27PM (#27449840)

I'm not quite following if this is sarcastic or not. For example, Google did acquire flight search: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITA_Software

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Re:Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a... by o8r3oFTZPE on Wednesday June 09, 2021 @05:04PM (#27453204)

Not meant to be sarcastic. A single, web-based company could offer wonderful coveniences for web users if 1. they know what "all" people are searching for on the web 2. they are enabled (by finance) and allowed (by law) to acquire any other company that aims to serve the needs of "all" people searching for stuff on the web. #1 is a capability held by no other company on the planet, except Google. The point is that a single, all-knowing company offering such wonderful conveniences is not necessary responsible for creating them. First, they had to 1. spy on peoples' searches to determine what stuff people were looking for on the web and 2. acquire other companies that had already worked out how to best provide that stuff. If the all-knowing company did not exist, the other companies providing the stuff that people were searching for would still exist. The all-knowing company is initially just a middleman. In some cases this middleman has not been content to simply connect people with the companies providing the stuff and take a cut (through selling advertising services). Rather, the middleman seeks to acquire the companies and provide the stuff itself (enhancing its spying capabilities).

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