Google as a monopoly?

The debate keeps resurfacing as to whether or not Google is a monopoly. Can an online monopoly even exist if competition is just a few clicks away? New York Times continues to explore the issue, and I think it’s an especially important one in the context of multimedia journalism. If Google– or any other search engine for that matter– chooses to direct search engine traffic where they see fit, then it certainly influences the flow of information. In this case they obviously want to keep internet traffic within their own company’s interest, which makes sense– but should antitrust regulations apply here to prevent that? Not sure where I stand on the issue, but I think it’s definitely an important one to keep track of.

Here’s the article:

The article “Sure, It’s Big. But Is That Bad?” written for The New York Times by Brad Stone details regulators’ antitrust concerns over the giant Google. Referencing similar hype in the 1990’s over antitrust concerns of “high-tech heavyweight” Microsoft, the article examines the search engine Google in the debate over whether or not it is a monopoly. Claims of algorithms formulated to keep search traffic within Google have surfaced, such as those by the company Foundem, a shopping comparison website. Critics claim that Google favors its properties over every other site on the web, thereby enforcing their own monopoly and attempting to control traffic where they see fit. Simply put: they want to control internet traffic. For that reason, it’s just as important an issue as any for journalists to pay attention to, even if it may seem like economics talk!