Google Beats FTC, Creates Whole New Tier of "Renegade-ism"
From Politico:
"As it became clear the FTC had its sights set on the company, Google recognized it had no choice but to mature or risk its own “Microsoft moment.” In the months to follow, the company embarked on a coordinated push to expand its lobbying balance sheet, donate more to lawmakers, connect better with public-interest groups and make new friends in the academic community, many sources told POLITICO."
I'm torn.
On one hand: It's nice to see that Google matured past thinking their original defense: "We promise we're trying to help the world, not hurt it" alone would beat FTC antitrust wing-clipping. Thank god. I love you. You make my life easy and, because you grew up, are still allowed to make my life easy.
On the other: my underground high school kid roots are flaring up just a bit, and a thin-but-there-for-sure blanket of sad nostalgia has settled around my perception of Google as a renegade. As Politico so eloquently put it, "the traditional outsiders worked the system from the inside."
A single tear as an initial gut reaction. But waaaiiit a second...
In beating the FTC this time around, is the internet giant more or less of a renegade, and, as a result: more or less of an antitrust risk, more of less quickly moving toward a goal of untouchable global information monopoly?
Gut reaction 2: Probably more.
Now that Google has crystallized its ability to defend itself on a whole new playing field, (legitimate massive corporation vs. Silicon Valley tech startup) Washington politics are just one more complex, interconnected system for Google's brilliant logical minds to frolic in, spider, organize, itemize, and...own.
Let's face it: the company is based on mastering then commanding the most illogical, messy heaps of information systems. My prediction: Google will dominate (they're already well on the way) the art of beltway manipulation into its back pocket. That system has already proven it's prone to harboring untouchable forces, protected by a Kevlar web of favors extending from infinite sources, in infinite directions. What single force has ever been more equipped with minds and resources that specialize in working a system to its favor from absolutely every conceivable angle?
These next few months will be interesting. Google will undoubtedly continue to dominate the search and internet ad space, and will undoubtedly continue to grow. The sheer size and speed with which Google innovates will undoubtedly prompt additional rounds of FTC investigation--my bet--before 2013 is over. It's inevitable. Google is big, fast, successful, and voluminously moving through uncharted legal/regulation territory.
Will this be the straw that finally forces all kinds of government and legal regulations camels to finally be legitimately re-examined and revised into the digital age?
I'm no longer torn: It's still the digital Wild West, Google is still the renegade, and this victory opens up the door for some potentially pretty revolutionary changes in the way the technology/digital/internet landscape is regulated.
Onward!