Posted on 07/30/2017 3:31:04 PM PDT by aquila48
The Intercept reports that former Breitbart News Executive Chairman and current White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon has called for tech companies such as Google and Facebook to be regulated in a similar way to public utilities as the influence and reach of these companies grows. The Intercept cited three anonymous sources that have reportedly discussed the issue of internet regulation and tech companies with Bannon.
Bannon reportedly stated that companies such as Google and Facebook have become so essential to the internet and to the everyday life of many U.S. citizens that they should be regulated as a natural monopoly. Bannon’s position is becoming an increasingly popular one amongst tech experts. Jonathan Taplin, the author of Move Fast and Break Things: How Facebook, Google, and Amazon Cornered Culture and Undermined Democracy, recently claimed that tech companies like Google and Facebook have become too big and may need to be broken up.
Google and Facebook have been dominating the online advertising industry in recent years, with analysis company Pivotal Research reporting recently that Google and Facebook combined accounted for 99% of all online ad industry growth in 2016. Traditional news outlets recently requested an antitrust exemption for congress in order to negotiate with companies like Google and Facebook in relation to advertising partnerships.
David Charen, the chief executive of the News Media Alliance, wrote an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal on the matter where he explained some of the financial figures behind the traditional media group’s complaints. “The problem is that today’s internet distribution systems distort the flow of economic value derived from good reporting,” said Charen. “Google and Facebook dominate web traffic and online ad income.”
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
BAd idea. Taht puts government in charge of those sites and of the speech that takes place there.
How ChiCom of him.
Bannon may have a point, but regulation would probably be more onerous to their competitors.
It would be better to use antitrust laws against these behemoths.
Looks like Google’s Boston Dynamics has been sold to a Japanese company as of this year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h5qpXO3isM
The cure would be worse than the disease.
Presently their content is determined by advertisers of Chinese-made goods.
They wouldn’t like any changes.
China wouldn’t like any changes.
It’s already controlled by leftist who are currently banning as many conservatives as they can for their political positions. Making it a public utility, at least under a Trump administration, would make them open to the public regardless of political belief.
I support Trump in this. Of course, if Hillary came to power, we would all be getting shut down, with or without any public utility status.
What happens when Trump leaves the White House and a Rat is in charge?
May not be a bad idea, the devil is in the details.
Certainly just putting them under government control is bad. But some application of fair law that can increase competition and break their abuse of monopoly power would be good.
More unconstitutional regulation????
NO!!!!
Get rid of this guy and get someone who wants to DRAIN THE DEEP STATE SWAMP, not raise it higher!
Yeah. It’ll be so great when the next Democrat administration regulates all social media.
BINGO!
Unintended Consequences!
Probably not breaking news. The same article was posted 2 days ago:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3572838/posts
The leftists in charge of Google and Facebook should love this! Isn’t regulation a good thing?
Either fake news or Bannon is a Socialist.
The same thing that would have happened with or without any public utilities: mass persecution of all Democrat enemies.
We trust and support Trump. The next Rat Potus would abuse this power.
Its full of far left wing conspiracies crap.
Why is Breitbart quoted these left wing loons and Trump haters
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