Lawmakers Seek FTC Scrutiny of Google's Search Results Even wonder why Google's own products and services appear at the top of search results? See how that could change if lawmakers get their way.

By Mikal E. Belicove

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Google Search Results

Two U.S. senators fired off a letter to the Federal Trade Commission this week calling for an investigation into what they allege as bias by Google in favor of its own products and services in search results.

Senators Herb Kohl (D., Wis.) and Mike Lee (R., Utah), both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, claim that by consistently pushing search results related to sites and services it owns over those owned and operated by others, Google is "undermining free and fair competition among ecommerce websites."

In the five-page letter (PDF) to FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz, Kohl and Lee question whether Google -- which currently owns approximately 65 percent of the search market here in the U.S., according to the latest figures available from comScore -- may be acting in an anti-competitive manner with respect to antitrust laws and the FTC Act.

Among the search engine results cited by the pair as ranking higher are those related to products and services delivered by Google Travel, Google Finance, Google News, Google Maps, Google Product Search, Google Flight Search and YouTube. The senators question whether Google can be an unbiased general, or "horizontall," search engine while owning such Web-based businesses from which it derives substantial advertising revenues.

In the letter, the senators cite one of Google's top executives admitting in a 2007 subcommittee hearing that the company did indeed coddle its own websites. The executive, Marissa Mayer, now Google's VP of Local, Map and Location Services, testified that when it rolled out Google Finance, "We did put the Google link first. We do all the work for the search page and all these other things, so we do put it first," adding that this practice is company policy.

In the subcommittee's latest hearing, which took place in September of this year, Jeremy Stoppelman, co-founder and CEO of Yelp testified "Google is no longer in the business of sending people to the best sources of information on the Web. It now hopes to be a destination site itself for one vertical market after another... It would be one thing if these efforts were conducted on a level playing field, but the reality is they are not."

The senators' complaint is that Google shouldn't be allowed to promote its own products and services above those of competitors like Yelp, calling it a conflict of interest. They concur that nobody can compete -- big and small businesses alike -- with Google, making regulation a logical step.

The letter concludes that the FTC should take the reins in an effort to determine if any antitrust laws have been violated or if harm has come to other businesses as a result of Google's practices. I'll be closely following this development with a promise to get back to you with ensuing details.

How have Google's self-promotional tactics affected your business? Leave a comment and let us know.

Mikal E. Belicove is a market positioning, social media, and management consultant specializing in website usability and business blogging. His latest book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Facebook, is now available at bookstores. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

Woman Goes Viral After Recording Her Disastrous Call With HR After Being Let Go: 'They Tried to Gaslight You'

Brittany Pietsch posted a nine-minute-long clip of her firing from Cloudflare on TikTok, and it went viral. The company's CEO responded on X — and also went viral.

Business Solutions

Upgrade Your Work Laptop or Computer's OS With Windows 11 Pro, Now for Less Than $25

Outfit your office's computers and laptops with Microsoft's latest OS: Windows 11 Pro.

Thought Leaders

How This Family-Run Company Has Thrived for Five Generations

Marty Ozinga, the CEO of Ozinga, explains the legacy and future of the powerhouse construction materials company.

Starting a Business

They Grew Up in a Financially-Challenged Single-Parent Home and Now These Twins Run a Multimillion-Dollar Real Estate Business. Here's How They Turned Hardship Into Inspiration.

How Jeremy and Joshua Mathis overcame adversity and turned their challenging upbringing into a foundation for real estate success.

Marketing

4 Ways AI Is Revolutionizing Targeted Advertising — And How to Balance It's Ethical Implications

AI-powered targeted advertising revolutionizes marketing with hyper-personalized promotions. However, ethical and transparency questions hover over this progress.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.