Missouri AG Josh Hawley launches investigation of Google

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
The investigation delves into Google’s collection of data on users and whether Google, the world’s most popular search engine, has manipulated search results at the expense of competitors, according to a release from Hawley’s office.

“When a company has access to as much consumer information as Google does, it’s my duty to ensure they are using it appropriately,” said Hawley, a Republican who is mounting a campaign for U.S. Senate. “I will not let Missouri consumers and businesses be exploited by industry giants.”

Patrick Lenihan, Google’s spokesman, said in an email that the company has not yet received the subpoena. Lenihan said Google has “strong privacy protections in place for our users and continue to operate in a highly competitive and dynamic environment.”

Missouri AG Josh Hawley launches investigation of Google
 

littlelady

God bless the USA
I figured it out a long time ago. Thus, my use of bing. But, actually, I don’t trust any of the search engines, anymore, much less social media, and news media, etc. I try to figure it out myself, without influence, modification, trolliness, auto reply, lying, etc. Period.
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
Google has turned themselves into a public utility, and therefore has a responsibility to their customers. What if your water company shut you off because they don't like your politics? What if the electric company did that? What if the oil company said, "Trump sign in your yard? No oil for you"? Google feeds and withholds information based on politics and progressive agenda. THAT is what should be investigated.

If anyone recalls, they busted up Microsoft over a freaking web browser.
 

Starman

New Member
Google has turned themselves into a public utility, and therefore has a responsibility to their customers. What if your water company shut you off because they don't like your politics? What if the electric company did that? What if the oil company said, "Trump sign in your yard? No oil for you"? Google feeds and withholds information based on politics and progressive agenda. THAT is what should be investigated.

If anyone recalls, they busted up Microsoft over a freaking web browser.

Not really, no. Google displays search results based on who has paid to have their results listed at the top. It’s not like they are doing this in a vacuum.

Does it raise a question of ethics? Sure. But otherwise a perfectly valid business model. There are plenty of other search engines out there. Not so much with “public utilities”.

And then there is media literacy.
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
Not really, no. Google displays search results based on who has paid to have their results listed at the top.

Then Politico, Buzzfeed, and the rest of the no-name "news" sources must be paying to have their results - regardless of how irrelevant to the search string - come up first. And that is wrong, too.

I'm not talking about products and services; I am talking about straight information and news stories. When I type in "Mar-A-Lago" looking for information on the club, I don't care to have 8,000 derogatory op-eds and blogs about Donald Trump come up first.
 

Starman

New Member
Then Politico, Buzzfeed, and the rest of the no-name "news" sources must be paying to have their results - regardless of how irrelevant to the search string - come up first. And that is wrong, too.

What is "wrong" with it? Google are very clear with the consumer with their terms of service that you, as the consumer, are the product being sold. If you agree to it (which you do by continued use of their service), then that is on you. Not Google. There is no reasonable expectation of not having the results gamed.

I'm not talking about products and services; I am talking about straight information and news stories. When I type in "Mar-A-Lago" looking for information on the club, I don't care to have 8,000 derogatory op-eds and blogs about Donald Trump come up first.

Sorry, but that is not why they are in business.
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
Sorry, but that is not why they are in business.

It sure is. Or at least that's why they used to be in business: to provide relevant websites when you do a keyword search. Cause it's a, you know, search engine. Not a push engine, but a search engine.
 

Starman

New Member
It sure is. Or at least that's why they used to be in business: to provide relevant websites when you do a keyword search. Cause it's a, you know, search engine. Not a push engine, but a search engine.

Re-read the TOS. Sorry, but what you describe has NEVER been their business model. It just hasn’t.
 

black dog

Free America
What is "wrong" with it? Google are very clear with the consumer with their terms of service that you, as the consumer, are the product being sold. If you agree to it (which you do by continued use of their service), then that is on you. Not Google. There is no reasonable expectation of not having the results gamed.



Sorry, but that is not why they are in business.

Ahhh Millennials, How can they be expected to know about something that happened before they were born or were a small child. Not much RIF anymore...
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
Re-read the TOS. Sorry, but what you describe has NEVER been their business model. It just hasn’t.

It surprises me that there is anyone on earth who would insist that Google did not start out as a search engine, and has billed themselves as one for years. If they have morphed into a paid advertising clearinghouse, that's one thing; but insisting that operating as a search engine has "never" been their business model is simply wrong.

You can argue all you want, and you'll still be wrong.
 

Starman

New Member
It surprises me that there is anyone on earth who would insist that Google did not start out as a search engine, and has billed themselves as one for years. If they have morphed into a paid advertising clearinghouse, that's one thing; but insisting that operating as a search engine has "never" been their business model is simply wrong.

You can argue all you want, and you'll still be wrong.

Perhaps if you put the word “ostensibly” in there you would have a point. As it is though, Google has been accepting money to put results at the top since day one of Google. Perhaps when Brin and what’s-his-name were grad students at Stanford and this was a pet project this might not have been true, but it had been ever since there has been a google-branded search engine.
 
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