Google is coming after critics in academia and journalism It's time to stop them

Big conspiracies about how the big international corporation is on the hunt for anything and anybody that seems to be negative to their apparent agenda.

This story suggests Google is forming their own little "government".

Perhaps they are.

We do know about some of their tactics regarding advertising and funding.

Recently the European Union fined Google and then somebody "affiliated" with Google praised the EU.

Then it was Hell to Pay.

Google is coming after critics in academia and journalism. It's time to stop them.

About 10 years ago, Tim Wu, the Columbia Law professor who coined the term network neutrality, made this prescient comment: "To love Google, you have to be a little bit of a monarchist, you have to have faith in the way people traditionally felt about the king."

Wu was right. And now, Google has established a pattern of lobbying and threatening to acquire power. It has reached a dangerous point common to many monarchs: The moment where it no longer wants to allow dissent.

This summer, a small team of well-respected researchers and journalists, the Open Markets team at the New America think tank (where I have been a fellow since 2014), dared to speak up about Google, in the mildest way. When the European Union fined Google for preferring its own subsidiary companies to its rival companies in search results, it was natural that Open Markets, a group dedicated to studying and exposing distortions in markets, including monopoly power, would comment. The researchers put out a 150-word statement praising the E.U.'s actions. They wrote, "By requiring that Google give equal treatment to rival services instead of privileging its own, [the E.U.] is protecting the free flow of information and commerce upon which all democracies depend." They called upon the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice and state attorneys general to apply the traditional American monopoly law, which would require separate ownership of products and services and the networks that sell products and services.

d(o_o)b

Our steady and brisk walk towards corporatocracy is unlikely to be interrupted by the likes of the FTC, the CFPB, or Congress. All three are too dysfunctional and populated by takers and insiders who have no interest in balanced reform.

The world we have built for our children will look nothing like the one we leave behind. I wish them the best of luck. They're going to need it.

As usual, the fix is simple. Cut off the money flow and it will wither and die. Sadly, most people can't help themselves. They have been brainwashed too well into being the good little consumer. Work, tax, consume, repeat.

Personally, I try to distance myself from google at all costs. I even decided to cancel my business' adwords advertising account. I do not wish to give them another penny, either directly or indirectly through hit counts to their services.

Google thinks their 6 million in bribes ...errr.. lobbying so far for just 2017 will insulate them. That is on top of all of the private donations to think tanks and other research groups to insure a positive image of Google.

It almost seems like our government can be bought, can it?

a reply to: xuenchen


Google bought YouTube.

They are doing it there, too.

YouTube accused of censorship

DuckDuckgo ... stop using google. Now only if there is a good alternative to youtube.

Why is the subscribe button missing from the phone browser interface

a reply to: xuenchen

Sooner or later, it will start shutting down websites that express dissent against the government, like ATS......

originally posted by: queenofswords
a reply to: xuenchen


Google bought YouTube.

They are doing it there, too.

YouTube accused of censorship

It's been interesting watching YouTube over the last few months. I have several channels that I subscribe to, and it's been very, very obvious if one pays attention to their subscriber counts taking a sharp downturn when they'd been on a steady rise, substantially lower view counts per video, etc.

a reply to: xuenchen

This story suggests Google is forming their own little "government".

No, they are forced to censor, according to the loudest pressure applied to them. Like any venue, if you have the reigns you are subject to censorship pressure from all sides.

Pretty soon though, the outside pressure to conform becomes the only source of material. They all want a return to pre internet where the only source of information was the TV, radio and papers.

Those were the days of empire, ministry and wealth.

It sucked. I remember, I was there.

originally posted by: Shamrock6

originally posted by: queenofswords
a reply to: xuenchen


Google bought YouTube.

They are doing it there, too.

YouTube accused of censorship

It's been interesting watching YouTube over the last few months. I have several channels that I subscribe to, and it's been very, very obvious if one pays attention to their subscriber counts taking a sharp downturn when they'd been on a steady rise, substantially lower view counts per video, etc.

Not only, when I view a youtube from Duck Duck Go, I get a screen shot, one that reminds me Google tracks my views on YouTube, regardless.

a reply to: intrptr

What's Duck Duck Go?

a reply to: Shamrock6

The search engine that doesn't track you.

duckduckgo

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Shamrock6

The search engine that doesn't track you.

duckduckgo

I switched to DuckDuckGo a few months ago and haven't missed Google one bit.

a reply to: intrptr

All Google has to do is return the results that people are searching for without manipulating them. The only reason it is complicated for them is because of their agenda.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Shamrock6

The search engine that doesn't track you.

duckduckgo

Plus it has a better variety of search results. Unlike google which shoves wikipedia in your face for nearly any term you search.

a reply to: xuenchen

THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUTH

and Google will determine what it is

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Shamrock6

The search engine that doesn't track you.

duckduckgo

More like the search engine thats "says" it doesn't track you. Unless you are completely disconnected from the internet everything you search or do online is visible. If you are really worried about tracking you should delete your Facebook.

If You are online you are traceable doesn't matter how good the encryption is nothing is unhackable.

"...........stop them"

I applaud this thread.

I applaud hope.

But the sad, painful reality is, it's over.

Well, not completely, but obviously in a downward spiral.

Too many people have the money, the control.

They have infected schools, the internet, the media, tv, movies.

Once the baby boomers and Gen X are gone, the fight will be over.

originally posted by: VashTheStampede

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Shamrock6

The search engine that doesn't track you.

duckduckgo

More like the search engine thats "says" it doesn't track you. Unless you are completely disconnected from the internet everything you search or do online is visible. If you are really worried about tracking you should delete your Facebook.

If You are online you are traceable doesn't matter how good the encryption is nothing is unhackable.

It goes further than that.

Assume that every keystroke is logged even if you backspace it out..... every keystroke is logged period, because it is and has been for over a decade maybe even as long as 20 years.