Ah, the great debate: Blue bubbles vs. green bubbles.
What the Biden presidency could mean for the tech world
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For quite a while, U.S. lawmakers have questioned whether Big Tech companies are too involved (or not enough) in curbing misinformation. Others have accused the big four: Google, Apple, Amazon and Facebook, of antitrust behavior. This has led to several ongoing court cases brought on by federal and state law enforcement.
Google is no stranger to antitrust accusations, but this time around, it might not get off so lightly. A coalition from 38 states filed court papers in December against the company, claiming that it has a monopoly on search results. Tap or click here for details on these scandalous accusations.
Looking at making sweeping changes to how Big Tech companies operate, the industry’s giants might find it tougher to conduct business “as usual” under a President Biden administration. As for what exactly the changes will be, it’s not crystal clear. Let’s look at what might be on the way.
Why does it matter to you?
In the case of Google, claims of monopolizing your search results do carry some weight. For many years it has been speculated (and proven to some degree) that Google can manipulate search results.
This could provide you with a somewhat biased result, as Google will serve you links that it would financially benefit from. This could be through Google affiliate content, Google Ads or any other website that relies heavily on its technology.
WhatsApp’s new terms and conditions also pointed out Facebook’s massive control over your data. When it was announced that the messaging app would be sending almost all your private info to its parent company, consumers became livid. Tap or click here to see how WhatsApp shares your data with Facebook.
This is one reason some politicians are pushing to break up Big Tech companies.
What can you do about it?
President Biden had previously indicated that he would favor regulating Big Tech companies instead of splitting them into smaller entities. But that is not to say that it couldn’t happen.
For now, getting away from Big Tech will be a mammoth task if you choose to go that route. Many online retail stores use Amazon Web Services. Facebook and WhatsApp dominate social media and communications, and Google is intertwined with most things we do online.
But there is one option that the U.S. government has been looking at: Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act.
Google is an illegal monopoly
A judge ruled Google illegally built and maintained a monopoly in online search by paying to be the default on smartphones. Plus, a website flaw puts democracy at risk, scammers hit the skies, and why wrapping your keys in tin foil could save you trouble.
2.4 billion
That’s how many times people visited Zillow in just three months. Why? Because daydreaming is cheaper than buying. Only 4 million homes were actually sold last year, but that didn’t stop everyone and their mom from house-hunting from the couch. Zillow’s not just a listing site; it’s the new social media, where “cozy” means claustrophobic and “as-is” means “run.” When it comes to board games about buying real estate, Hasbro really has the Monopoly.
$50 billion
That’s how much Google Chrome might be worth if Google was forced to sell it off. At least that’s what DuckDuckGo’s CEO estimated at Google’s antitrust trial. (Spoiler: DuckDuckGo will not be bidding.) The DOJ is still deciding how to break up Google’s search monopoly, and selling Chrome is on the table. AI players like OpenAI and Perplexity say they’d be interested.
5 times more data
Collected by holiday apps compared to regular paid apps. The holidays are over, but those festive apps are still gifting your data to anyone willing to pay. Monopoly Go! is the worst offender. Here’s the full list. Ditch ‘em.
August 10th, 2024
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Confirmed: Google is a monopoly
A federal judge has ruled that Alphabet’s Google created an illegal monopoly by controlling almost all online searches. With around 90% market share, this decision could be a game-changer for Big Tech.
FTC accuses Amazon of acting as a monopoly
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