Admittedly, we’ve been pretty critical of many policy stances taken by Google over the past several years. Google has been part of a coalition of interests which argued that so called “network neutrality” is necessary, that is, that the FCC should be able to tell Internet service providers how to run their networks. On this, Google is wrong.
So now that some are calling for regulation of search engines, it is tempting to think “what’s good for the goose is good for the gander,” or “you make your bed you lie in it.” And while these colloquialisms are not bad cautionary advice in general, they are horrible ways to make public policy.
While government regulation of the Internet is unnecessary and harmful, so too is government regulation of search algorithms unnecessary and harmful. It’s very bad policy to allow government regulators to start messing around with search engines.
Google is a stunningly successful Internet company because Google delivers a product that pleases its users. Whether or not Google gives some priority to its own content, such as Google Maps, should be expected not scorned. After all Google must serve its customers, and its customers are its users, and those who purchase advertising, not other Web site owners or competitors.
And there are competitive choices in the marketplace, such as Bing, for those who choose not to use Google.
Google has invested in linguists, psychologists, and computer scientists, all of whom work diligently to make sure that their customers get what they want, not just vaguely related or perhaps even non-useful returns. Google deserves to reap the rewards of their successful investment and risk-taking, and to not have aggrieved parties leverage the government against them through regulation.
In the end neither networks nor search engines should be placed under the heavy hand of government control, and for the very same reasons. These companies build amazing products to help their customers, and these companies are best suited to understand and to rapidly respond to the ever changing demands of the marketplace, without the heavy hand of government regulation.
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Today's TechByte was written by Bartlett D. Cleland, Director of IPI Center for Technology.