4 ms·

Google’s Remarkably Close Relationship with the Obama White House, in Two Charts

73 points by danielam 11y ago

bgilroy26 11y ago
I love to see House of Cards plotlines in the wild
- gjolund 11y ago
  Where do you think the writers draw their inspiration from?
caio1982 11y ago
I don't want to shoot the messenger here but is there any other source for all that info? I would like to read more about it but some other report investigation that came to the same conclusions would be nice. Given some garbage-level articles I've read at The Intercept recently I am very skeptical about their motivations and the quality of their report.
- GauntletWizard 11y ago
  I'd love to see some comparison between these job moves, other companies, and the state of the world. Oh, no, the world's second largest company by market cap and that employes 50,000 people has had a few dozen move to government jobs! "Suchit Metrotra from Support Engineer Google Apps GOOGLE → to Research Assistant FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD (May 2015)". This is a mid-level support position, and according to his linkedin profile, he left google in 2012 and spent a year at another company before going to work for the government in 2015. This is a revolving door? (Disclaimer: I singled out that name because I knew the name from my time at Google. And, indeed, nothing about his job role before or after would qualify as lobbyist, unless you consider anyone who's ever worked a government contract a lobbyist.)
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
_yosefk 11y ago
A nice quote: "In 2012, staff at the Federal Trade Commission recommended filing antitrust charges after determining that Google was engaging in anti-competitive tactics and abusing its monopoly. A staff report that was later leaked said Google’s conduct “has resulted — and will result — in real harm to consumers and to innovation in the online search and advertising markets.” The Wall Street Journal noted that Google’s White House visits increased right around that time. And in 2013, the presidentially appointed commissioners of the FTC overrode their staff, voting unanimously not to file any charges."
gjolund 11y ago
I wonder how this dynamic will change if/when Trump gets elected.
- randyrand 11y ago
  He'll negotiate better deals. Amazing deals. Deals that none of the current guys would ever think of.
spoiledtechie 11y ago
This is so incredible. Googles lobbyist at its forefront of political corruption.
malandrew 11y ago
I'd love to see transparency here so long as those arguing for transparency also are supportive when the proposals really are in the best interest of the average American. Google has gone to bat to protect the privacy of the average American and they've pushed to open up markets with unnecessary artificial barriers to entry protecting the incumbents. Sometimes the interests of the average person and the commercial interests of a company align, and when that happens it's important we know that it's happening, but are also aware that it's in our best interests. Even Microsoft lately has started to go to bat on behalf of the average American by suing the government over warrantless requests for information and abuses of the third-party doctrine.
r00fus 11y ago
Does anyone not remember the candidates' interviews at Google? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4yVlPqeZwo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4yVlPqeZwo The Barack Obama one was likely the most viewed, as he was relatively unknown then. Interesting the answers he gave and the state of politics and regulation 8+ years afterwards.

73 points by danielam 11y ago

bgilroy26 11y ago

I love to see House of Cards plotlines in the wild

gjolund 11y ago
Where do you think the writers draw their inspiration from?

caio1982 11y ago

I don't want to shoot the messenger here but is there any other source for all that info? I would like to read more about it but some other report investigation that came to the same conclusions would be nice. Given some garbage-level articles I've read at The Intercept recently I am very skeptical about their motivations and the quality of their report.

GauntletWizard 11y ago
I'd love to see some comparison between these job moves, other companies, and the state of the world. Oh, no, the world's second largest company by market cap and that employes 50,000 people has had a few dozen move to government jobs! "Suchit Metrotra from Support Engineer Google Apps GOOGLE → to Research Assistant FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD (May 2015)". This is a mid-level support position, and according to his linkedin profile, he left google in 2012 and spent a year at another company before going to work for the government in 2015. This is a revolving door? (Disclaimer: I singled out that name because I knew the name from my time at Google. And, indeed, nothing about his job role before or after would qualify as lobbyist, unless you consider anyone who's ever worked a government contract a lobbyist.)
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]

_yosefk 11y ago

A nice quote: "In 2012, staff at the Federal Trade Commission recommended filing antitrust charges after determining that Google was engaging in anti-competitive tactics and abusing its monopoly. A staff report that was later leaked said Google’s conduct “has resulted — and will result — in real harm to consumers and to innovation in the online search and advertising markets.” The Wall Street Journal noted that Google’s White House visits increased right around that time. And in 2013, the presidentially appointed commissioners of the FTC overrode their staff, voting unanimously not to file any charges."

gjolund 11y ago

I wonder how this dynamic will change if/when Trump gets elected.

randyrand 11y ago
He'll negotiate better deals. Amazing deals. Deals that none of the current guys would ever think of.

spoiledtechie 11y ago

This is so incredible. Googles lobbyist at its forefront of political corruption.

malandrew 11y ago

I'd love to see transparency here so long as those arguing for transparency also are supportive when the proposals really are in the best interest of the average American. Google has gone to bat to protect the privacy of the average American and they've pushed to open up markets with unnecessary artificial barriers to entry protecting the incumbents. Sometimes the interests of the average person and the commercial interests of a company align, and when that happens it's important we know that it's happening, but are also aware that it's in our best interests. Even Microsoft lately has started to go to bat on behalf of the average American by suing the government over warrantless requests for information and abuses of the third-party doctrine.

r00fus 11y ago

Does anyone not remember the candidates' interviews at Google? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4yVlPqeZwo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4yVlPqeZwo The Barack Obama one was likely the most viewed, as he was relatively unknown then. Interesting the answers he gave and the state of politics and regulation 8+ years afterwards.