[governance] regulating global digital monopolies

[McTim]

On Fri, Sep 23, 2011 at 9:50 AM, parminder <parminder at itforchange.net>wrote:

> **
> See below about an anti-trust inquiry against Google in the US senate...
> Can a small country in Africa or Asia do such an inquiry against google
> today.
>


do you not recall the Taiwainese municipality story just a few weeks ago?




>  So, whatever the US government decides on whether Google breaks
> competition law or not, would by default be applicable globally.
>


or whatever a Taiwanese municipality decides, no??  google can tailor
results to be specific per country (or location).  for example, my search
results for the last few weeks have, by default, been in swahili.



> Can US's commercial (and perhaps social/ cultural/ political) interests not
> color its judgement on this issue?
>

In applying it's own laws you mean?  I can't parse your meaning here.




>  Even otherwise, is such a undemocratic practice acceptable to us, or do we
> simply not bother, with multistakeholder participation being our sole agenda
> ?
>

Since when is applying the laws of a nation undemocratic?



>  If unacceptable, what is the global governance response to this key
> governance issue, and many others like this......
>


nothing, i hope.



>  Do we have a response?
>


Don't use Google (or FB or whatever).


>  Are we even headed in the direction where a possible response may lie?
>


I truly hope not.


>  What is civil society/ IGC's responsibility in this regard?
>
>

stop auto-hating for one thing.  Seriously, It does not appear that Google
has broken any laws (or even regulations) in this area.  We have a
responsibility to NOT assume that success = evilness.

-- 
Cheers,

McTim
"A name indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A route
indicates how we get there."  Jon Postel
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