This message is in response to the question of whether or not regulations should be put on Google.
I absolutely think that some kind of regulations should be put on Google, but the question of what and how that would happen are the pressing questions. We must first address the fact that Google is very quickly monopolizing the internet and technology. They currently own approximately 232 companies and are on average purchasing a new one every week. This, however, is not something that I think should be regulated. The idea of buying and selling businesses that provide for the general public is the basis of our economy. The United States is renowned for the fact that you can make yourself into anything if you choose to. You can start a business that could take off and make you millions. You can choose to be a working player in the economy. You can choose to play whatever roll you would like. Google has lawfully earned the money to purchase these companies and therefore should not be withheld from doing so. If they were kept from doing this, we would be obstructing the very process of our economy.
With that being said, however, I do believe that what Google (and anyone else for that matter) are able to do with those companies should be regulated. The main pieces of this, for my concerns at least, would be the alteration of what is presented to users. If Dr. Epstein's presumptions and findings are correct, there is a very pressing ethical issue that needs to be addressed. Does this classify as a violation of natural human rights? I don't necessarily think it does, but also it could. Intentionally altering the opinions of human beings for a private goal is so ethically wrong, but how would the government go about creating a regulation that doesn't also impress on the rights of business owners. And even more so, how would they prove that the altered order of search results is altering our opinions. Google has the right to display search results in whatever order they please, we just might not like or appreciate the fact that they do that. They aren't hiding or deleting information (that I'm aware of or have proof of) in this situation, just altering the order in which the search results are seen.
While I would like to believe that this "issue" is one that could be fixed, there are so many factors that play into it that it would be very difficult to create regulations that didn't impede on some ideals or regulations already established.
