Alphabet Inc’s stocks tumbled after the Trump Administration’s Department of Justice launched an antitrust probe that could force the breakup of Google.
The search engine giant has come under increasing scrutiny as conservatives documented widespread censorship. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has been leading the charge to end the so-called “Masters of the Universe” personal morality bias against groups and individuals.
Facebook, Twitter, and Google have all reportedly engaged in anti-First Amendment practices. Although the push to make online resources free speech havens has largely been a GOP and conservative rallying cry, House Democrats announced a “top-to-bottom” antitrust investigation into tech giants Google, Facebook, and Amazon. What may be the most surprising thing about the congressional probe is that it is being led by anti-Trump hardliners.
“The open Internet has delivered enormous benefits to Americans, including a surge of economic opportunity, massive investment, and new pathways for education online,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler said. “But there is growing evidence that a handful of gatekeepers have come to capture control over key arteries of online commerce, content, and communications.”
Although the bias against conservative speech has been well-established, the question remains –why should Google be broken up? Wouldn’t the benefits of the massive search engine only warrant strict government oversight? What everyday Americans won’t readily discover through their online searches is that Google and others have engaged in what many view as nefarious activities.
These are three reasons why many believe a Google breakup is necessary.
1: Operation Dragonfly Proves Google Cannot be Trusted
Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, negotiated with the totalitarian Chinese government to craft a search engine that would censor dissenting voices and assist the communist regime in tracking political opponents. Dubbed “Dragonfly,” media outlets learned through whistleblowers within the tech company that its executives and engineers had worked directly with a Beijing-based outfit in secret.
After the Orwellian activities came to light, more than 60 human rights organizations and 22 U.S. lawmakers took Google to task. The public backlash prompted the tech monster to end development. However, recent reports indicate that Google may have a shadow group still working with the Chinese government. Simply put, Google cannot be trusted.
2: Tech Giants Crushing Middle Class
The concept of the “American Dream” is that through hard work and innovation, anyone can achieve wealth and personal success. Today’s tech giants have effectively stifled competition and suppressed upstart entrepreneurs from earning significant wealth. A recent discussion among tech investors such as Roger McNamee highlighted these facts.
“I would like Google to be broken up into eight or 10 different monopolies,” McNamee said. “These companies have run unchecked for a very long time. The unchecked power produces really bad outcomes.”
Companies such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon have increased the disparity of wealth in the U.S. Today, their CEOs rank as the world’s wealthiest. Yet, we do not see accompanying growth in middle-class wealth. That may be because, as the FTC reportedly found in 2012, “Google took part in anti-competitive business tactics,” according to Breitbart.
“If one company becomes so powerful, it can deny the mother’s milk of business, which is capital,” New York University Stern School of Business professor Scott Galloway explained. “New business formation has been halved in the last 40 years. Two-thirds of the stocks have gone away. And it’s harder to build a middle class.”
Upstart companies and thriving mid-level outfits have all but disappeared. America once churned out tens of thousands of millionaires. Now, we have a handful of multi-billionaires.
3: Unelected Google Dictating To The People
If anyone were to say that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Prager U agreed on public policy, they’d probably be fitted for a straight jacket. However, when it comes to the so-called Masters of the Universe, both actually agree.
Prager U recently released an educational video called “Big Tech is Big Brother” that points out the similarities between the morality and speech policies of Facebook, Google, and Twitter. Like the days when Microsoft held sway over technology, Google and company are basically saying “conform or die” online and in business. The big three have reportedly come to a unified understanding of what is and is not permissible to say or post online. Disagree, and you and your business may be banned. Prager U reportedly has suffered more than 100 video bans. Only its strong political support in Washington prevents total censorship.
Whether the liberal agreement is just a matter of someone else having power or agreement over free speech, Speaker Pelosi issued a stark warning to Google and its tech friends.
“Unwarranted, concentrated economic power in the hands of a few is dangerous to democracy — especially when digital platforms control content. The era of self-regulation is over,” Speaker Pelosi tweeted.
~ Conservative Zone
