Yelp Responds To Senate Committee Over Google Antitrust Hearing

[engine]

Yelp Responds To Senate Committee Over Google Antitrust Hearing [officialblog.yelp.com]

Because Google competes against Yelp to provide consumers with the best information about local businesses, these government groups have asked Yelp to discuss our experiences with Google’s conduct.

We have responded to these requests and told officials that we believe Google has acted anti-competitively in at least two key ways: by misusing Yelp review content in their competing Places product and by favoring their own competing Places product in search results.

We have been invited to participate in a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust hearing about this issue later today; below you can read the testimony I will deliver. I am thankful for the Senate’s interest in this issue and honored to be asked to assist in ensuring fair competition on the Internet for consumers and small businesses alike.

Earlier story
Google to Face Senate Antitrust Panel This Week [webmasterworld.com]

[edited by: engine at 11:21 am (utc) on Sep 21, 2011]

[Whitey]

There's some difficulties here.

Firstly, Google is a large pivitol slice of the digital economy at a time when industry is changing and the global economy is in meltdown and consequent social implosion - we already see it in North Africa / ME . Beaurocrats are having trouble in all directions of emphasis and transparancy.

Secondly, there is no viable alternative to Google as a search engine, not simply by virtue of technology, but more so from market adoption. I mean the SERP result from others are not signicantly worse.

Thirdly, Google is way ahead of it's critics and wanabe regulators, throwing up smoke screen after smoke screen.

Fourthly , this is not as definable and simple as Microsoft's break up, or AT&T - it's much harder to define, so will take longer to deal with - i fear if ever.

Lastly, human characteristics are in play that will fail to check the temptation to build bigger and take more. No US coroporate is going to turn itself into anything less than a money hungry machine, versus the common good. Only well functioning Government regulators can address the balance and they are well behind the eightball in Europe and the US, to the point of being virtually incompetent in the face of the challenges.

Google is part of the economic system that requires short term monetary gain to satisfy it's it investors. It will do whatever it takes to meet it's short term goals to meet investor needs, on the path to significant economic dominance.

Expedia, YELP , it's small fry arguments in the context of the bigger picture, but intriguing to watch IMO.

There should be a new currency created soon - called Google dollars as part of a new virtual territory called Google land contributed to by a virtual enslavement of all entities travelling through it and marketing in it.

Honestly, Google's economy is fast becoming bigger than some US States and Countries. No wonder China built it's own SE.

I'm not sure the Senate is going to crack anything, but it will give a benchmark for how far apart the regulators are. After all, US deregulation under the Feds has dealt a killer blow to the US/Global economy - how about watching how they apply themselves to the digital economy.

Watching self serving interests argue their peice is not about watching the common good. It's just another glimpse synonomous with car makers rocking up to congress in their private jets begging for public money.

And let's be frank, everyone wants a slice of the action and these guys are no different, even if their corporate positions are bigger than the average webmaster or competing business feeding their families as well.

There's no blame, on my part - as "digital search information " is not an easy thing to regulate and balance IMO

[Web_speed]

There's no blame, on my part - as "digital search information " is not an easy thing to regulate and balance IMO

I disagree, it is as easy as. The abuse of power is right up there in front of everyones faces, in broad day light. Not too hard to prove really..... not to mention the massive PR damage which i have no doubt is already taking its toll on Google's various so called ("cut" and "paste") "properties".

Now that the world is having a better incline of what is really going on beyond the scenes of the "do no evil" empire. I have no doubt average Joe will be viewing the Google brand a little differently... and that's all it takes...

[graeme_p]

I mean the SERP result from others are not signicantly worse.

Others means Bing? Everyone else is significantly worse. Also "only slightly worse" is not good enough to take on a market leader.

Fourthly , this is not as definable and simple as Microsoft's break up, or AT&T - it's much harder to define, so will take longer to deal with - i fear if ever.

Microsoft was not broken up, unfortunately. Google could be broken up into search and non-search.

Only well functioning Government regulators can address the balance and they are well behind the eightball in Europe and the US

Agreed. They do not understand technology or new media. IN particular they do nothing about network effects of using technology to lock users in, or in otherwise anti-consumer ways. The plan MS and the PC vendors are working on to use UEFI to control OS installs and upgrades is a good current example.

Honestly, Google's economy is fast becoming bigger than some US States and Countries

What do you mean? How do you measure this? Google does not have an economy. It is just a corporation.

The abuse of power is right up there in front of everyones faces, in broad day light.

Really, examples?

I have no doubt average Joe will be viewing the Google brand a little differently

Very few people like Microsoft, and many hate them, that does not stop MS making money

[walkman]

Very few people like Microsoft, and many hate them, that does not stop MS making money

When trust goes google will have people look under the rug for everything. They make their money with the secret sauce.

Others means Bing? Everyone else is significantly worse. Also "only slightly worse" is not good enough to take on a market leader.

Put the gOogLe label on Bing results and viceversa and let's see what people think :)

[Web_speed]

Really, examples?

a) Watch the video... all the way till it ends
b) Watch the video... all the way till it ends
c) Watch the video... all the way till it ends

Too many examples to list here... they are all discussed in much detail in the VIDEO.

P.S.
Look I accept that maybe not every webmaster is capable of clearly seeing the cynical abuse of power which is taking place nowadays. A good long trade/working experience is a must in order to see these things. Basic (day to day) common sense is highly recommended too...

[edited by: Web_speed at 7:26 am (utc) on Sep 23, 2011]

[Whitey]

How do you measure this? Google does not have an economy

IMO - there's direct, money through their coffers, and indirect economics. Monies influenced by the Google marketplace in the buy / sell process; even if a transaction doesn't go directly through Google's search presence ( google properties ) for an entity, it may transact as a consequence of it and that's immeasureable as you indicate.

We're increasingly in a virtual "digital" economic World, and Google is a key, if not a dominant player, where brand forces are limited in the search space.

[edited by: Whitey at 7:19 am (utc) on Sep 23, 2011]

[Web_speed]

Very few people like Microsoft, and many hate them, that does not stop MS making money

Microsoft are not in direct and *active*, *firce* competition with so many businesses and industries as Google are...

Google has made way (way way way) more enemies then Microsoft ever did. Very powerful enemies!....google are actively regulating the web and interfering with the natural flow of business... this will come back to hunt them with a vengeance.

I don't think that the Microsoft and Google stories can be compared.

[graeme_p]

Make a list of big name MS competitors: IBM, Google, Sony, Nintendo, Apple, Oracle, Yahoo (as portal), Mozilla....

Google looks a lot bigger and nastier to Webmasters than to anyone else. To the average person, Google still has a pretty good image.

MS has a history of huge illegal deals, and has been fined and paid out compensation many times, some well publicised.

google are actively regulating the web and interfering with the natural flow of business

That is an accusation which is being investigated, not proven.

Put the gOogLe label on Bing results and viceversa and let's see what people think happy!

I tried using a site that let you see Google, Bing and Yahoo search results side by side, without showing which was which until you picked which your preferred.

I usually picked Googled. There is a WW thread on it.

[Web_speed]

Google looks a lot bigger and nastier to Webmasters than to anyone else.

Webmasters = "the web" = millions upon millions of small to large businesses world wide feeling/fighting daily the Google twist.

Make a list of disadvantaged industries (from all around the world): Travel, Music, Movie, Media/News, Books, and many many more to list here.....each industry bundle would have ten time more (if not more) the amount of "IBM, Google, Sony, Nintendo, Apple, Oracle, Yahoo (as portal), Mozilla" put together.

Google are in direct/active/fierce competition with millions of businesses the world over, the Microsoft story can not be compared.