Scorched Web

Break up the monopolies

July 29, 2018 by Tecumseh

Google, Facebook, Amazon… they are monopolies pure and simple. Since their business model is predicated on the network effect it is not possible to argue otherwise. And just like the oil barons before these monopolies must be broken up.

We the people have broke up illegal monopolies (see: Sherman Anti-Trust Act) before and we will again. Phone Companies, Microsoft, Railroads, you name it and they have all reached a level of monopoly where the people in the form of their elected government had to do something, and that is the situation now with these monopoly internet companies.

• Deceptive advertising. They call the services as free but take data. There is no difference between data and money in the modern economy.
• All algorithms must be made available publicly including a simulation environment to test. This should be identical to how emissions are tested in cars.
• Like phone companies they must make their infrastructure available to rivals.

The bottom line is that there is nothing special about these companies. What they have achieved is impressive but dangerous and they must be held to task.

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