I remember first using search engines when I was in late elementary school, or early middle school. There were so many options to choose from: Ask Jeeves, Yahoo, Bing, Google, and more. Google wasn’t so dominant at the time, and I actually preferred asking Jeeves (whoever Jeeves was). Now Google is nearly synonymous with the phrase search engine, kind of like the eponyms of Kleenex, Xerox, and Velcro.
Google has always had a positive connotation in my mind, being associated with helpful resources, nice aesthetics, and capable in many different areas (web searches, navigation, office productivity software like Google Docs). However, at the same time, I can’t help but wonder if they’re too involved. There was a recent news headline about phones being tracked even with location services off.
What caught my eye today was a New York Times piece on how Google actively stifles competition. By active, I mean that Google doesn’t “win” just because it’s bigger and better, but it takes down its competitors that it sees as threats. The article mentions these affected companies:
- Foundem
- Skyhook Wireless
- Yelp
- Getty Images
- TradeComet
- KinderStart
- eJustice
- NexTag
- BDZV
And there’s more out there. There’s also a “bipartisan assortment of state attorneys [who] have urged the F.T.C. to reopen its [antitrust] investigation of Google.” The previous investigation had pretty damning information too, stating that, “Google’s conduct has resulted — and will result — in real harm to consumers and to innovation.” Yikes.