Inside Google

Press Release

Slide show features companies Google calls competition

CONTACT: John M. Simpson

I recently delved into Google’s 10-K filing covering 2009 with the Securities and Exchange…

Press Release

Google Identifies Competitors

CONTACT: Mike Swift

Google sees an Internet far more crowded with competitors than just a year ago. At least, that’s what the company is telling government regulators. Critics of Google’s dominance in search — Americans use Google for
about two thirds of U.S. searches, and the company has more than 70
percent of U.S. search advertising revenue, and about 90 percent in
Europe — say the expanded list of competitors is an attempt by Google
to paper over its dominance. "I think they are feeling the heat from several serious antitrust
investigations, and that’s reflected in the language they are using in
the 10-K," said John Simpson, of Consumer Watchdog. He argued in a
recent blog post that Google’s statements that it has many competitors
actually proves that "the opposite is actually true" and that "the real
risk to Google’s business is not from competition," but that regulators
in the U.S. and Europe "will act in the interest of consumers and force
the Internet giant to engage" in competition.

Candidates Find Incumbent Advantage Extends To Web

Sara Jerome

Thirteen years in the House and a stint as majority leader have furnished Rep.Roy Blunt, R-Mo., with useful GOP and K Street support for his Senate bid. But Blunt’s long resume also means a boost from another source: Google. Google’s overwhelming dominance of the search market has brought its
power to determine marketplace outcomes under new scrutiny this year.
Tech company Foundem and other so-called "search neutrality" advocates
allege that the search engine is gaining an unfair advantage by
favoring its own products in searches. The advocacy group Consumer
Watchdog wrote the Justice Department last week urging it to
investigate the issue, while the European Commission is already
checking out complaints from Foundem and others.

The Onion nails Google on privacy

John M. Simpson

The Onion, the satirical newspaper, has an on-the-mark article today that makes you realize why people are concerned about the amount of information Internet giant…

Press Release

Google tries to highlight competition in SEC filing

CONTACT: John M. Simpson

Google, under antitrust scrutiny by the U.S. Department of Justice, the …

Google bucks Europe on Street View

John M. Simpson

European Union officials are asking Google to improve privacy practices with its Street View service, …

Press Release

Justice’s Google probe is ongoing

CONTACT: John M. Simpson

I’ve just been reading the transcript from last week’s Fairness Hearing in the Google Books case and one thing is crystal clear: The U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust investigation of Google is by no means finished.

Press Release

Group Calls On Justice To Probe Google Searches

CONTACT: Juliana Gruenwald

The
consumer advocacy group Consumer Watchdog wrote the Justice Department
Wednesday to urge it to investigate allegations that Google is
manipulating its search results to favor its own products.

Press Release

Google’s European troubles and one good thing about the Italian case

CONTACT: John M. Simpson

Google has taken a one-two punch to the chin this week from Europe first with the news that the European Commission is probing the Internet giant for possible antitrust violations followed by the conviction of three top executives for invasion of…

Press Release

Google Faces New Antitrust Complaints

CONTACT: Wendy Davis

Earlier this month, the shopping comparison search engine myTriggers brought an antitrust action against Google, alleging that the search giant unfairly lowered myTriggers’ quality score. This
afternoon, the nonprofit Consumer Watchdog piled on. Consumer Watchdog
called for the Department of Justice to investigate whether Google "is
manipulating" search results by returning its own sites high in the
search results.