It is interesting that this discussion is happening but we need to apply rational thinking in both ways (in favor and against).
For example, this paragraph:
> There is certainly an argument to be made that Google, not only in Shopping but also in verticals like local search, is choking off the websites on which Search relies by increasingly offering its own results. At the same time, there is absolutely nothing stopping customers from visiting those websites directly, or downloading their apps, bypassing Google completely. That consumers choose not to is not because Google is somehow restricting them — that is impossible! — but because they don’t want to. Is it really the purview of regulators to correct consumer choices willingly made?
The truth is that most consumers will not find alternatives because that involves much work and the platform putting the offerings just in front consumer eyes wins. Stratechery writes about this which is basically about UX, attention and search economy. Google, for example, is making users believe that they are showing the best results based on "an alhorithm" and not hardcoding parts if the results to benefit them. This is a kind of dark pattern that cannot be tolerated.