“Search Neutrality”

by on December 28, 2009 · 10 comments

Google is  wrong to seek public utility regulation of ISPs, but it is just as wrong for others to seek public utility regulation of Google.

The founder of a would-be Google competitor or spurned search engine optimizer (I can’t tell which and won’t credit his site with a link) takes to the pages of the New York Times to argue for “search neutrality.”

Though good ironic comeuppance for Google, “search neutrality” regulation would ossify an innovative business and deprive consumers of the benefits of competition.

Happily, responses seem to be clustering around derision for the idea and criticism of the Times for publishing it.

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About Jim Harper

Jim Harper is the Director of Information Policy Studies at The Cato Institute, the Editor of Web-based privacy think-tank Privacilla.org, and the Webmaster of WashingtonWatch.com. A Poli Sci major at the University of California at Santa Barbara, Jim served as Editor-in-Chief of the Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly in his final year at Hastings College of the Law. Prior to becoming a policy analyst and advocate, Jim served as counsel to committees in both the U.S. House and Senate. He avoids genuine life experience by watching lots and lots of reality TV.

Read more articles by Jim Harper.

  • http://www.techliberation.com Adam Thierer

    Since Jim is incapable of searching the TLF for other related reading on the topic of “search neutrality,” here are a few in case anyone is interested in a fuller dissection of this horribly misguided idea:

    First Amendment Protection of Search Algorithms as Editorial Discretion – by Berin Szoka

    Net Neutrality, Slippery Slopes & High-Tech Mutually Assured Destruction – by Berin Szoka & Adam Thierer

    The Day Real Internet Freedom Died – by Adam Thierer & Adam Thierer

    Odlyzko on Net Neutrality, Price Discrimination, PrivacyFail, Search & Cloud Neutrality – by Berin Szoka

    Google Voice & the Slippery Slope of Net Neutrality Regulation – by Adam Thierer

    Is the FCC Becoming the Federal Cloud Commission? – by Adam Thierer

    My Net Neutrality Debate with Public Knowledge – by Berin Szoka

  • http://techliberation.com/2009/12/28/2010-the-year-of-everything-neutrality/ 2010: The Year of “Everything Neutrality” — Technology Liberation Front

    [...] Harper has already noted some of the criticism of the Times editorial, but the snarkiest-and-yet-most-substantive response [...]

  • Scarlettjacob

    Google can access lots of information that can be very important for
    the people who are trusting websites like orkut and face book and they
    gave all there personal and financial information.

    Mio Navman M400

  • http://www.digitalsociety.org/2009/12/search-neutrality/ Digital Society » Blog Archive » Search Neutrality?

    [...] or attempts to turn competitors into commodities.  Jim Harper is usually exactly right, and this is no exception… Though good ironic comeuppance for Google, “search neutrality” regulation would ossify [...]

  • http://cattaraugus-county.nycountyrealestate.com/washington-county-new-your-search-engine-optimization/ Washington County New Your Search Engine Optimization | Cattaraugus County NY Real Estate

    [...] “Search Neutrality” — Technology Liberation Front [...]

  • Brett Glass

    “Public utility” regulation of Google would be a bad idea. However, enforcement of antitrust laws, which prohibit “monopoly maintenance” and anticompetitive business practices, might well be appropriate. It's important to ensure that free markets remain free and open to competition.

  • Brett Glass

    “Public utility” regulation of Google would be a bad idea. However, enforcement of antitrust laws, which prohibit “monopoly maintenance” and anticompetitive business practices, might well be appropriate. It's important to ensure that free markets remain free and open to competition.

  • http://techliberation.com/2010/07/14/googles-lobby-shop-creates-need-for-itself/ Google’s Lobby Shop Creates Need for Itself

    [...] was the first to discuss “search neutrality” here on TLF. Ignore Adam’s [...]

  • http://scottrhymer.wordpress.com/2010/07/19/google-reaping-what-you-sow/ Google: Reaping What You Sow « Scott Rhymer: Historian and Writer

    [...] massive Democratic Party supporter, managed to get a bunch of halfwitted Progressives into office. They were one of the major forces behind “net neutrality”, a staggeringly bad idea couched in terms of “freedom” and “fairness” [...]

  • http://blackcampbell.wordpress.com/2010/07/19/google-reaping-what-you-sow/ Google: Reaping What You Sow « The Black Campbell

    [...] massive Democratic Party supporter, managed to get a bunch of halfwitted Progressives into office. They were one of the major forces behind “net neutrality”, a staggeringly bad idea couched in terms of “freedom” and “fairness” [...]

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