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Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a public utility

dispatch.com

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Re: Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a public utility

#41

Post by basch »

jolmg wrote: post #24
bobbylarrybobby wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s pretty much impossible to function in modern society without an email address that you can rely on.

But Google isn't the only provider of email addresses. In contrast, water utilities typically hold monopoly over their region. EDIT: Many people are replying with some variant that the problem is that Google can block the email account that people have tied to their financial and government services. But the same is true of any other email provider. If Google is somehow turned into a public utility, how does that sol…

However, even with an email address, what are the chances you eventually try and email someone who has gmail. If you get put on the spam list, youre as good as not existing. In concept thats not that different than having an internal account shut down. You still dont exist to google, or any of their patrons.

Re: Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a public utility

#43

Post by takeda »

trothamel wrote: post #30

While I'm not sure that a lawsuit like this is the right venue, companies like Google arguably deserve to be treated at least something like a public utility. The power and phone companies are allowed to dig or put up poles and wires where they want to - that's necessary for them to do their business. Companies like Google (and Twitter) require special rules to function - a generous view of fair use, and things like…

This doesn't have any real goal. The point is to start it, and once it will fall, blame it on Democrats.

If they were serious about it, they would start with declaring ISPs as utilities.

Also by all means I think that Google, Amazon and others should have be split into smaller companies.

Re: Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a public utility

#44

Post by mc32 »

dantheman wrote: post #38
izacus wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except that this behaviour shows up in non-monopolistic markets as well. Apple does it. PayPal does it. Heck, our European banks have started doing it despite there being ample competition. What the competition did, is made sure EVERY competing entity does that because it's cheaper and costs were brought down with race to the bottom. I don't get where this bizarre belief that "moar free market" will solve issues. Let…

Freedom of association is important, and you shouldn't have to do business with people you don't want to.

So it’s okay for banks to choose who they’ll let bank with them?

In any case, I disagree. Some things are basic necessities.

Re: Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a public utility

#45

Post by jeffbee »

bilbo0s wrote: post #13
jbgreer wrote: post #7

Interesting approach, especially given that they don't seem to be concerned about having internet service providers declared public utilities.

especially given that they don't seem to be concerned about having internet service providers declared public utilities. Which is why it will obviously fail at actually doing anything useful. However, the intended purpose may not be so much to do anything useful, as it is to score some points for incumbent politicians. In that, it could succeed brilliantly. It's actually a very smart move if you consider the politica…

Name even one way in which Google resembles a public utility.

When I build a house, do I have to pay $25k to get my Google pipes hooked up? Seriously where are the parallels?

Re: Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a public utility

#46

Post by asymptosis »

wayneftw wrote: post #6

We usually have to pay for utilities, no? If Google search were a utility what would my search bill look like?

There already exist paid search services which you can compare Google to. I use infinitysearch and it costs US $5 per month.

It's true that their coverage isn't as good as google, but around $1 per week feels very cheap. And the decreased coverage is at least partly compensated by being treated like a customer instead of a product.

Re: Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a public utility

#47

Post by ziftface »

jbgreer wrote: post #7

Interesting approach, especially given that they don't seem to be concerned about having internet service providers declared public utilities.

I wish they would do that as well, but that certainly doesn't invalidate these concerns

Re: Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a public utility

#48

Post by gumby »

ping_pong wrote: post #22
MarkusWandel wrote: post #5

Well, a public utility also doesn't have the right to do this: "You did something wrong, we won't tell you what it was, there's no chance of appeal, and you are now banned from receiving water service again, ever, for the rest of your life, no matter where you move. And don't try moving in with someone else who's still receiving service, because they'll get banned too."

This is a direct result of their monopoly, which is why Google should be broken up. Because they have such a huge monopoly, they can afford to ignore customers and have a draconian approach to people, and can get away with it. If there were better competition, they wouldn't have been able to ignore their customers. Breaking them up will alleviate this by ensuring that each company needs to be able to survive on their…

> ...their monopoly, which is why Google should be broken up.

Not denying their monopoly position, but how could Google meaningfully be broken up? It's really just a single business (advertising) with a gaggle of loss leaders adding up to less than 20% of revenue. Even pushing advertising down to 80% took a huge amount of effort.

It's not like Standard Oil which was a vertically integrated trust of several points in the value chain, or the bell system which could be broken up geographically (and manufacturing spun out). Or FB which could divest business units like Instagram and WhatsApp.

Re: Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a public utility

#49

Post by paddez »

mc32 wrote: post #44
dantheman wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Freedom of association is important, and you shouldn't have to do business with people you don't want to.

So it’s okay for banks to choose who they’ll let bank with them? In any case, I disagree. Some things are basic necessities.

Yes. Banks close accounts all the time of clients they no longer want to risk business with.

Re: Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a public utility

#50

Post by bmmayer1 »

ping_pong wrote: post #22
MarkusWandel wrote: post #5

Well, a public utility also doesn't have the right to do this: "You did something wrong, we won't tell you what it was, there's no chance of appeal, and you are now banned from receiving water service again, ever, for the rest of your life, no matter where you move. And don't try moving in with someone else who's still receiving service, because they'll get banned too."

This is a direct result of their monopoly, which is why Google should be broken up. Because they have such a huge monopoly, they can afford to ignore customers and have a draconian approach to people, and can get away with it. If there were better competition, they wouldn't have been able to ignore their customers. Breaking them up will alleviate this by ensuring that each company needs to be able to survive on their…

How is Google a monopoly? Serious question.
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