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Whose side is Google on? We’re going to find out this year.

By: Neil Stevens (Diary)  |  February 7th, 2013 at 03:00 PM  | 

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A few years ago, Google was deeply in bed with the left wing activists like Moveon.org and Free Press pushing for Internet regulation. When Obama was elected, Google got even more deeply embedded with both the left and the government.  At this point, Republicans began paying more attention to Google and Google realized it had a political problem.

So, after years of lining up with the left to demand more government regulation of the internet, Google changed course. (“Google cozies up to the GOP“)  Google promoted their Republican lobbyists, hired Republican consultants, sucked up to conservative organizations and even hired a squishy Republican, Susan Molinari (R-MSNBC) to run their DC office.

But if they were playing footsie with Republicans, Google was still sleeping with the Democrats.

Over the past couple years, Google and the left wing activists have tried to peddle the notion that everybody is on the same side on Internet freedom.   Of course, that’s not true, but since the FCC ruled on net neutrality in late 2010, Google hasn’t had to make as many tough choices about where they line up.

This year, that will change.

Sometime this year, it is very likely that the courts will shoot down the FCC’s net neutrality rules. Once that happens, the issue will be back in play and Google will have to make a very difficult choice. Will Google stand with Republicans against Internet regulations, or will Google jump back into the arms of Free Press, Moveon.org and other left wing activists to demand new net neutrality regulations?

That’s not the only issue on which Google may need to make a choice. We will also have a chance to judge Google by their actions when the FCC considers various technology mandates or when the administration attempts to retain government control of spectrum rather than auctioning it.

I hope Google will heed the words of Rep. Issa who expressed hope that companies would stand up against regulations “when they believe that if they don’t defend a particular entity’s liberty, that next it could be them. … It’s the old expression from Churchill of “feeding the alligator, hoping they’ll eat you last.” It’s not a particularly good strategy.”

Google’s strategy of renting Republicans when they need to be bailed out on anti-trust issues may have worked when they could pretend to be aligned with Republicans.

Will Google sell out conservatives?  Well, let’s consider: Other than on policies that directly hurt Google, when has Google disagreed with the Obama administration? I can’t think of anything.  Has Google lined up with conservatives against progressives on any significant issue?  I can’t think of anything.

In 2013, Google will have to pick sides. They can either be for government regulation of the Internet or against it.  Conservatives should pay very close attention this year.

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COMMENTS

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  • constitutional

    Where is Apple/Tim Cook on this, Neil? I’m sure Jobs was probably not for internet regulation, but one has to wonder where Tim Cook is.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    I don’t recall Apple being particularly active on this. They may have been nominally pro-Net Neut, but I don’t recall them getting out front the way Google did. I could be wrong but I didn’t see it.

  • ajshea

    I agree that in a competitive arena, this is a better way for the market to work. However, in many, especially rural, markets, there is only one broadband/high speed internet provider. If you don’t mind going back to dial-up, you have some choice, but a whole lot less than you did ten or even five years ago.

    This is where regulators have to come in, when there is not enough of a market to create a marketplace — when a market is still only a monopoly.

    “Extract more profits for themselves” apparently comes before “bring a better product to the consumer”. In a true free-market it generally works better the other way around.

  • The_Gadfly

    As you hinted at with your remark about the squishy Republican, it is critical in this context to remember that Republican =/= conservative, merely that when you pull a random ball from a bag you are more likely to get a conservative out of the Republican bag because there are more conservative balls in the Republican bag than there are in the Democrat bag.

    So I fully expect Google to take a left wing dive on the issues.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    I know that’s what the progressives say. but this fantasy argument is completely detached from the reality of the regulatory-industrial complex.

  • joshinca

    Google will do whatever they perceive to be in the company’s financial interest.

    The idea that Google or any other big business will defend free market principles is a fantasy. Big businesses always have and always will embrace any regulation that gives them a financial advantage by limiting consumer choice or their competition.

  • thirdeblue3639

    Google is going to be on Google’s side and no others.

  • reggie1

    You don’t have a problem with Time Warner letting Netflix have exclusivity to Time Warner customers, because you view Hulu as well funded and able to strike its own competitive deal elsewhere, and that Time Warner customers wanting Hulu could change to the new service and be happy. 1. Not necessarily. 2. Much, much more importantly, it’s not about the war between Netflix and Hulu. It’s about the hundreds of startups that won’t get on either Time Warner or your imaginary competitor, so it won’t build a customer base, and neither Netflix or Hulu will have to improve their services more than nominally. Who cares that Google hates not getting to offer more of their greatest-ever services? Those services were largely bought from their founders, in order for Google to stay competitive. Your solution relieves some of that drive. So much for innovation.

  • Notre Droite

    Your answer makes no sense. Why would Google want to innovate when the government is already preventing them from enforcing the economic advantage their innovation has earned them? If any company behaves in an anti-competitive fashion, that just makes it easier for a real competitor to beat them and steal their customers. If a company is dumping chemicals in the river, then you just stop buying that company’s products. Simple as that.