Is there an argument to be made for the U.S. government to seize control of Google?

[K9Buck]

Just curious. Google has, to a great extent, become the gatekeeper of all information. It's been discovered that they are manipulating search results. I myself noticed this when I did a search for a particular article that I had searched for previously over the past several years. One day, it no longer appeared in the results. I've also noticed that the usual liberal sources dominate in the results of any politically-related search. Google and even Twitter and Facebook are, as far as I can tell, monopolies and they control who gets to speak in their modern version of the "town square" and who is NOT permitted to speak. Yea, I know. They're private companies. But, at the same time, they have become the aforementioned "town square" of public discourse and I have to wonder if a legal argument could be made as to why and how the federal government has the right and the duty to take control of that organization and reimburse their shareholders so that freedom of speech and expression can be maintained.

How about it?

 

[candycorn]

no.

 

[Care4all]

no, that's silly

 

[HenryBHough]

Wrong for government to seize it.

To shut it down?

A case could be made on national security grounds.

 

[Marion Morrison]

Just curious. Google has, to a great extent, become the gatekeeper of all information. It's been discovered that they are manipulating search results. I myself noticed this when I did a search for a particular article that I had searched for previously over the past several years. One day, it no longer appeared in the results. I've also noticed that the usual liberal sources dominate in the results of any politically-related search. Google and even Twitter and Facebook are, as far as I can tell, monopolies and they control who gets to speak in their modern version of the "town square" and who is NOT permitted to speak. Yea, I know. They're private companies. But, at the same time, they have become the aforementioned "town square" of public discourse and I have to wonder if a legal argument could be made as to why and how the federal government has the right and the duty to take control of that organization and reimburse their shareholders so that freedom of speech and expression can be maintained.

How about it?

No. Bust them up into different entities, yes.

Seize control? No.

 

[Care4all]

use another search engine if you do not like it, and GOOGLE will lose customers and Bing, or Yahoo Search etc will gain more.... isn't that how it is suppose to work?

 

[Darkwind]

Just curious. Google has, to a great extent, become the gatekeeper of all information. It's been discovered that they are manipulating search results. I myself noticed this when I did a search for a particular article that I had searched for previously over the past several years. One day, it no longer appeared in the results. I've also noticed that the usual liberal sources dominate in the results of any politically-related search. Google and even Twitter and Facebook are, as far as I can tell, monopolies and they control who gets to speak in their modern version of the "town square" and who is NOT permitted to speak. Yea, I know. They're private companies. But, at the same time, they have become the aforementioned "town square" of public discourse and I have to wonder if a legal argument could be made as to why and how the federal government has the right and the duty to take control of that organization and reimburse their shareholders so that freedom of speech and expression can be maintained.

How about it?

Maybe a legal argument can be made to force them to be neutral in the arena of public opinion, but I would be opposed to the government seizing any private business that has not broken any laws.

 

[Care4all]

Just curious. Google has, to a great extent, become the gatekeeper of all information. It's been discovered that they are manipulating search results. I myself noticed this when I did a search for a particular article that I had searched for previously over the past several years. One day, it no longer appeared in the results. I've also noticed that the usual liberal sources dominate in the results of any politically-related search. Google and even Twitter and Facebook are, as far as I can tell, monopolies and they control who gets to speak in their modern version of the "town square" and who is NOT permitted to speak. Yea, I know. They're private companies. But, at the same time, they have become the aforementioned "town square" of public discourse and I have to wonder if a legal argument could be made as to why and how the federal government has the right and the duty to take control of that organization and reimburse their shareholders so that freedom of speech and expression can be maintained.

How about it?

No. Bust them up into different entities, yes.

Seize control? No.

how do you like that cold weather I brought down with me??? My whole family is blaming me!!!!

 

[Oddball]

Just curious. Google has, to a great extent, become the gatekeeper of all information. It's been discovered that they are manipulating search results. I myself noticed this when I did a search for a particular article that I had searched for previously over the past several years. One day, it no longer appeared in the results. I've also noticed that the usual liberal sources dominate in the results of any politically-related search. Google and even Twitter and Facebook are, as far as I can tell, monopolies and they control who gets to speak in their modern version of the "town square" and who is NOT permitted to speak. Yea, I know. They're private companies. But, at the same time, they have become the aforementioned "town square" of public discourse and I have to wonder if a legal argument could be made as to why and how the federal government has the right and the duty to take control of that organization and reimburse their shareholders so that freedom of speech and expression can be maintained.

How about it?

No....Just bust them up like was done with Ma Bell.

 

[anynameyouwish]

Just curious. Google has, to a great extent, become the gatekeeper of all information. It's been discovered that they are manipulating search results. I myself noticed this when I did a search for a particular article that I had searched for previously over the past several years. One day, it no longer appeared in the results. I've also noticed that the usual liberal sources dominate in the results of any politically-related search. Google and even Twitter and Facebook are, as far as I can tell, monopolies and they control who gets to speak in their modern version of the "town square" and who is NOT permitted to speak. Yea, I know. They're private companies. But, at the same time, they have become the aforementioned "town square" of public discourse and I have to wonder if a legal argument could be made as to why and how the federal government has the right and the duty to take control of that organization and reimburse their shareholders so that freedom of speech and expression can be maintained.

How about it?

and then censor all liberal opinions and only have conservative?

 

[K9Buck]

Just curious. Google has, to a great extent, become the gatekeeper of all information. It's been discovered that they are manipulating search results. I myself noticed this when I did a search for a particular article that I had searched for previously over the past several years. One day, it no longer appeared in the results. I've also noticed that the usual liberal sources dominate in the results of any politically-related search. Google and even Twitter and Facebook are, as far as I can tell, monopolies and they control who gets to speak in their modern version of the "town square" and who is NOT permitted to speak. Yea, I know. They're private companies. But, at the same time, they have become the aforementioned "town square" of public discourse and I have to wonder if a legal argument could be made as to why and how the federal government has the right and the duty to take control of that organization and reimburse their shareholders so that freedom of speech and expression can be maintained.

How about it?

No....Just bust them up like was done with Ma Bell.

Yea, that's probably what needs to happen. Twitter and Facebook too.

 

[Uncensored2008]

Just curious. Google has, to a great extent, become the gatekeeper of all information. It's been discovered that they are manipulating search results. I myself noticed this when I did a search for a particular article that I had searched for previously over the past several years. One day, it no longer appeared in the results. I've also noticed that the usual liberal sources dominate in the results of any politically-related search. Google and even Twitter and Facebook are, as far as I can tell, monopolies and they control who gets to speak in their modern version of the "town square" and who is NOT permitted to speak. Yea, I know. They're private companies. But, at the same time, they have become the aforementioned "town square" of public discourse and I have to wonder if a legal argument could be made as to why and how the federal government has the right and the duty to take control of that organization and reimburse their shareholders so that freedom of speech and expression can be maintained.

How about it?

Seize control of Google?

Are you nuts?

 

[K9Buck]

Just curious. Google has, to a great extent, become the gatekeeper of all information. It's been discovered that they are manipulating search results. I myself noticed this when I did a search for a particular article that I had searched for previously over the past several years. One day, it no longer appeared in the results. I've also noticed that the usual liberal sources dominate in the results of any politically-related search. Google and even Twitter and Facebook are, as far as I can tell, monopolies and they control who gets to speak in their modern version of the "town square" and who is NOT permitted to speak. Yea, I know. They're private companies. But, at the same time, they have become the aforementioned "town square" of public discourse and I have to wonder if a legal argument could be made as to why and how the federal government has the right and the duty to take control of that organization and reimburse their shareholders so that freedom of speech and expression can be maintained.

How about it?

and then censor all liberal opinions and only have conservative?

Nah. Conservatives don't fear discussing liberal ideology.

 

[K9Buck]

Seize control of Google? Are you nuts?

Not really. I was looking more for a scholarly discussion of the legalities of it but this is probably not the place for that type of conversation.

 

[Uncensored2008]

Seize control of Google? Are you nuts?

Not really. I was looking more for a scholarly discussion of the legalities of it but this is probably not the place for that type of conversation.

This is America, not North Korea.

There is no legal foundation to seize any company.

 

[HenryBHough]

Take control yourself - if your Democrat masters will let you.....

Dump Google.

DuckDuckGo

 

[Marion Morrison]

Just curious. Google has, to a great extent, become the gatekeeper of all information. It's been discovered that they are manipulating search results. I myself noticed this when I did a search for a particular article that I had searched for previously over the past several years. One day, it no longer appeared in the results. I've also noticed that the usual liberal sources dominate in the results of any politically-related search. Google and even Twitter and Facebook are, as far as I can tell, monopolies and they control who gets to speak in their modern version of the "town square" and who is NOT permitted to speak. Yea, I know. They're private companies. But, at the same time, they have become the aforementioned "town square" of public discourse and I have to wonder if a legal argument could be made as to why and how the federal government has the right and the duty to take control of that organization and reimburse their shareholders so that freedom of speech and expression can be maintained.

How about it?

No. Bust them up into different entities, yes.

Seize control? No.

how do you like that cold weather I brought down with me??? My whole family is blaming me!!!!

You need to stop with that!

 

[Marion Morrison]

DuckDuckGo — Privacy, simplified.

 

[Marion Morrison]

Dump cookies every time you sign on, people.

 

[Uncensored2008]

Take control yourself - if your Democrat masters will let you.....

Dump Google.

DuckDuckGo

Fair enough, but that is a market solution, not the authoritarian seizing of a private company.