6 ms·

Totally agree those actions would be an abuse of power, but Google is not the internet. Google is among the most powerful entities on the internet. I worry that

Totally agree those actions would be an abuse of power, but Google is not the internet. Google is among the most powerful entities on the internet. I worry that it wields the power of a nation state without the checks and obligations that constrain actual nations. But I can imagine a post-Google world where the internet persists. I think the internet is neutral. We users are not.

krapp 6y ago
> I worry that it wields the power of a nation state without the checks and obligations that constrain actual nations. The power of a nation state is based on its ability to maintain and control property, levy taxes and enforce compliance with its authority through a monopoly on violence. The premise that Google or any web platform has anything near the power of a nation state is ridiculous. Also, Google isn't an independent state, they're a corporation and as such are subject to the laws of the nation(s) in which they operate. They do what they do because governments allow them to, not because they have the power to defy governments at will.
- LinuxBender 6y ago
  In my opinion, Google is more of a monitoring station for governments, [1] as is Facebook [2]. I agree that they do not hold the power to directly levy taxes or enforce compliance on their own accord. They can probably influence voting and other aspects of public perception. Netflix has a show called "The Great Hack" [3] that starts to go down this rabbit hole as well. [1] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbKxUYl3WSE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbKxUYl3WSE [2] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shpiVm1qpnw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shpiVm1qpnw [3] - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4736550/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4736550/
- pfarrell 6y ago
  Very nice, krapp. Despite the downvotes, you've given me some things to think about this weekend. I will concede I was hyperbolic in equating Google with a nation. I've picked that up from sci fi and futurist stuff, but I'll have to think about how it would work in reality, for a corporation to gain that kind of authority.

krapp 6y ago

> I worry that it wields the power of a nation state without the checks and obligations that constrain actual nations. The power of a nation state is based on its ability to maintain and control property, levy taxes and enforce compliance with its authority through a monopoly on violence. The premise that Google or any web platform has anything near the power of a nation state is ridiculous. Also, Google isn't an independent state, they're a corporation and as such are subject to the laws of the nation(s) in which they operate. They do what they do because governments allow them to, not because they have the power to defy governments at will.

LinuxBender 6y ago
In my opinion, Google is more of a monitoring station for governments, [1] as is Facebook [2]. I agree that they do not hold the power to directly levy taxes or enforce compliance on their own accord. They can probably influence voting and other aspects of public perception. Netflix has a show called "The Great Hack" [3] that starts to go down this rabbit hole as well. [1] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbKxUYl3WSE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbKxUYl3WSE [2] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shpiVm1qpnw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shpiVm1qpnw [3] - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4736550/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4736550/
pfarrell 6y ago
Very nice, krapp. Despite the downvotes, you've given me some things to think about this weekend. I will concede I was hyperbolic in equating Google with a nation. I've picked that up from sci fi and futurist stuff, but I'll have to think about how it would work in reality, for a corporation to gain that kind of authority.