Is Google too big for its own bots?
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Google is serving up search results that give preference to its own commercial operations. That's the allegation from Brussels, Belgium-based lawyer David Wood, the legal counsel for the Initiative for a Competitive Online Marketplace (ICOMP).
In this week's Twisted Wire, he talks about how the search engine is now extending its influence to the mobile and mapping space. He suggests that the integrated ecosystem the company has developed is resulting in fewer clicks for competitors, creating an environment wherein innovative challengers to Google's emerging areas of influence are left out in the cold.
Has he got a point, or do we have a choice? If we are concerned, can't we simply move to another search provider? We could, but the point is, we don't. So Google's influence and control continues unabated.
It's a fascinating discussion about the emergence of an entrenched monopoly. And, of course, the more Google gathers data, the more sophisticated its offering is, and the harder it is for anyone to break the cycle. Unless the regulators step in.
What do you think? Is there a need for regulators to step in and control Google's dominance, to ensure that opportunities exist for competition in the space in which they operate?
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Running time: 28 minutes, 15 seconds