Terrorized Publishers Try a New Poison Dart on the Google
February 10, 2021
Google has reduced its investment in plumbing. It’s mostly waffled and fumbled its push into online games. The company has failed to keep Loon balloons aloft. And, more disappointingly, the Google has not solved death. Amazon and Facebook, despite protestations to the contrary, are making progress in online advertising. And the Bezos bulldozer’s new driver knows that product searches are Amazon’s personal turf.
Another group, however, wants to pour poison in Googzilla’s ear. The publishers, aided by their advisors, and assorted governments may have found a way. The write up “EU Ready to Follow Australia’s Lead on Making Big Tech Pay for News” reports:
EU lawmakers overseeing new digital regulation in Europe want to force Big Tech companies to pay for news, echoing a similar move in Australia and strengthening the hand of publishers against Google and Facebook.
Note that this article is behind a paywall, and in order to access it, you have to snag a wonky orange copy or fork over some cash. Very European, eh?
What happens if countries require Google to pay for news? What happens if the millennials holding elected and appointed positions don’t buy the threat of blocking search or killing access to Android apps (hopefully those which distribute malware via the Google Play service)? What if the bold push by Google Australia’s wizardly manager is recognized as a company acting like a country, maybe like the nation state in “The Mouse That Roared”?
Let’s see. Google has been involved in doing its brand of “not evil” for information for about 20 years and change. It takes a long time to develop an economic poison. Too bad the governments were not into the “warp speed” approach to innovation.
And France and its Googley tie up? Ah, France.
Stephen E Arnold, February 10, 2021
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