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Should Google Be Stopped?
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Monday, April 23, 2007
"Should Google Be Stopped?" That was the question presented by Steven Pearlstein of the Washington Post this Sunday. As Google builds a larger and larger war chest of funds it is able to purchase more assets, such as YouTube, DoubleClick, etc. Much like AOL or Microsoft back in the 1990s, Google is using their stock price (inflated or not, depending upon your view of the company) to buy assets for strategic purposes. The biggest differences I can see is that unlike a knee jerk reaction like eBay buying Skype, Google is thoughtfully going about purchases by only adding on assets that will contribute immediately to their plans. Google also is free vs. Microsoft's extortion methods of getting you to upgrade to the latest OS or Office version. Being free has allowed Google to fly under the radar here in DC, but it still begs the question.
Should the government step in and block Google from becoming another Microsoft, I actually say sort of. I am not so worry as who they are buying, but much more concerned about the data they are gathering about me and the tools they are using to do so. Of course, I am savvy enough to know how to clear my data from Google's clutches, but does the average user? Should Google have to put a giant button on the main search page that says stop tracking me? For those who want to delete the Google cookies that are due to expire in 2038, click here.
What also should be discussed is Google's ability to influence and control advertising rates on the internet. I have mentioned this in the past, but unlike broadcast television or newspapers, Google can manipulate advertising rates since they are the biggest kid on the block. In TV, NBC cannot charge more than ABC or FOX without risking not being able to sell advertising on the channel. Outside of Yahoo and Microsoft, Google really does not have anyone in the rear view mirror that they have to worry about, and if last week was any indication, Yahoo is barely in view anymore.
What do you think? Should Google be curtailed by the Federal Trade Commission or Securities Exchange Commission or should they be able to operate unimpeded? In some ways if I was Google or a Google shareholder, I would want to know where the line is in the sand, so I can avoid the lawsuits that Microsoft spent the late 90s and early 00s fighting in the US and Europe.
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Should Google Be Stopped?
Should the government step in and block Google from becoming another Microsoft, I actually say sort of. I am not so worry as who they are buying, but much more concerned about the data they are gathering about me and the tools they are using to do so. Of course, I am savvy enough to know how to clear my data from Google's clutches, but does the average user? Should Google have to put a giant button on the main search page that says stop tracking me? For those who want to delete the Google cookies that are due to expire in 2038, click here.
What also should be discussed is Google's ability to influence and control advertising rates on the internet. I have mentioned this in the past, but unlike broadcast television or newspapers, Google can manipulate advertising rates since they are the biggest kid on the block. In TV, NBC cannot charge more than ABC or FOX without risking not being able to sell advertising on the channel. Outside of Yahoo and Microsoft, Google really does not have anyone in the rear view mirror that they have to worry about, and if last week was any indication, Yahoo is barely in view anymore.
What do you think? Should Google be curtailed by the Federal Trade Commission or Securities Exchange Commission or should they be able to operate unimpeded? In some ways if I was Google or a Google shareholder, I would want to know where the line is in the sand, so I can avoid the lawsuits that Microsoft spent the late 90s and early 00s fighting in the US and Europe.
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This entry has 3 comments: (Add your own)
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Good points you bring up, there is a lingering unease that should not be ignored. There are gray areas in this realm and the consequences for Google are not clear cut.
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You know... You bring up a very valid point. I was just thinking about this when I read an article about Google recently.
Thanks for sharing your thought as well :)
9/20/08 10:23 PM