Federal Trade Commission begins antitrust inquiry into Google's business practices

Federal Trade Commission begins antitrust inquiry into Google's business practices

www.washingtonpost.com

But the inquiry is expected to focus in large part on whether Google abuses its dominance of Internet search to extend its influence into other lucrative online markets, such as mapping, comparison shopping and travel. Rivals complain that Google, which handles two out of every three Internet searches in the U.S., manipulates its results to steer users to its own sites and services and bury links to competitors.

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This sounds a lot like the anti-trust suit that came out years ago against Microsoft. I am always ambivilant about these things. On one hand, is it just smart business practises instead of vicious ones that make Google into a corporate giant? But on the other, it does surpress other companies and sites and smaller businesses from getting a share, and almost allows the coporate giant to be a monopoly.

I don't think a company should ever become so powerful that it can elminate all its competitors and become the only one. That isn't fair to the users as consumers, who like to have choices.

What I would reallly like to know is if there are any regulations regarding search engines, and is it illegal for them to bar competitors sites?

Interestingly enough, as I was searching for additional articles to link, I came across this, no wonder it reeks of Microsoft:

The wheel of technology history turns remarkably fast. Microsoft, whose domination of the technology industry provoked a landmark federal antitrust case, is crying foul against Google and urging European Union antitrust officials to go after the search giant.

www.nytimes.com...



www.washingtonpost.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

If being to big to fail is true, then why does the government even raise the question on things like this? Are they trying to make us think they are looking out for us? Is this something that cannot be swept under rug?

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