Google Is Cloaking Monopoly Power in the Guise of Virtue to Gain More Control Over Users’ Data By Drew Johnson
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/google-is-cloaking-monopoly-power-in-the-guise-of-virtue-to-gain-more-control-over-users-data/
The tech world was rocked by Google’s recent announcement regarding its internet browser, Chrome. Over the next few years, the search engine company will begin banning third-party cookies from its platform. The change will prohibit companies unaffiliated with Google from tracking the data of Chrome users.
Google heralded the move as a victory for internet privacy, declaring, “Users are demanding greater privacy… and it’s clear the web ecosystem needs to evolve to meet those demands.”
Unfortunately for Google’s public relations team, reality doesn’t quite conform to their slick messaging strategy. The tech giant may claim that their rationale for eliminating third-party cookies is an altruistic pursuit of security and privacy, but the truth is something different entirely. Google is merely looking to strengthen its monopoly power over the tech industry. And it is using the guise of virtue to cloak its ambitions.
The troubling reality lying behind Google’s claims of virtue is hiding in plain sight. Google is banning solely third-party cookies. In other words, Google is banning its competition.
Suspiciously, Google’s own “first-party” cookies will remain wholly unaffected by the policy change. If the company is truly concerned about the privacy of its users’ data, the search engine would address security concerns surrounding its proprietary cookies as well. But that’s not what Google is doing.
Instead, Google is merely clearing the path of any potential competition, ensuring it has sole control over users’ personal information. As various publishers and advertisers have argued, Google’s decision to rid its internet browser of third-party cookies merely makes its own ad business even stronger. Chrome already retains over 63 percent of the browser market share, By forcing third-party cookies off its web platform, Google practically guarantees itself exclusive rights to almost two-thirds of user data.
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