much influence...
http://nypost.com/2015/03/28/google-controls-what-we-buy-the-news-we-read-and-obamas-policies/
Schmidt was especially fond of a madcap corner of the Obama campaign office known as "the Cave," where, at 4:30 every day, staffers would dance madly under a disco ball to the tune of a mashup of Psy's "Gangnam Style" and an automated campaign phone call made to prospective voters.
Favors beget favors. And hey, presto, the FTC, in 2012, ignored the recommendations of its own staffers, which accused Google of abusive trade practices for burying competitors in their search results and recommended a lawsuit.
Instead, the FTC dropped its inquiry. Google enjoys 67 percent market share, 83 percent in mobile. No biggie, declared the FTC.
Google lobbyists have been pushing for implementation of "net neutrality" regulations, particularly a "Title II" provision that would benefit Google. President Obama helpfully came out in support of the plan, including Title II, which was slightly embarrassing because Obama's FCC chair, Tom Wheeler, had favored a different approach. Wheeler promptly reversed course and backed the Obama-Google plan.
Right before the FCC report was due, but before it was made public, the FCC pulled another odd reversal, removing 15 pages of policy Google apparently found out about but didn't like.
http://nypost.com/2015/03/28/google-controls-what-we-buy-the-news-we-read-and-obamas-policies/
Schmidt was especially fond of a madcap corner of the Obama campaign office known as "the Cave," where, at 4:30 every day, staffers would dance madly under a disco ball to the tune of a mashup of Psy's "Gangnam Style" and an automated campaign phone call made to prospective voters.
Favors beget favors. And hey, presto, the FTC, in 2012, ignored the recommendations of its own staffers, which accused Google of abusive trade practices for burying competitors in their search results and recommended a lawsuit.
Instead, the FTC dropped its inquiry. Google enjoys 67 percent market share, 83 percent in mobile. No biggie, declared the FTC.
Google lobbyists have been pushing for implementation of "net neutrality" regulations, particularly a "Title II" provision that would benefit Google. President Obama helpfully came out in support of the plan, including Title II, which was slightly embarrassing because Obama's FCC chair, Tom Wheeler, had favored a different approach. Wheeler promptly reversed course and backed the Obama-Google plan.
Right before the FCC report was due, but before it was made public, the FCC pulled another odd reversal, removing 15 pages of policy Google apparently found out about but didn't like.
