Google

Google calling for global privacy standards is like the fox guarding the henhouse calling for better chicken wire standards. 

In a public relations ploy, Google, is now calling for international privacy legislation; see AP's "Google launches global privacy crusade."

• It appears Google is finally cognizant that privacy is an issue they can no longer brush under the rug.
  • Privacy International recently did a study which ranked Google the worst in the world on privacy, calling the company "hostile" to privacy concerns.
  • EPIC and other privacy groups has filed suit with the FTC to block the Google-DoublClick merger charging Google's privacy practices constitute deceptive and unfair trade practices.

My analysis of Google's call for International privacy standards is that it is a transparent PR ploy to try and lead the protest march for the cameras while trying to distract people from the fact that the privacy "march" is actually heading directly towards Google headquarters. 

Google's credibility as a real and reliable wireless carrier has taken a big hit in that Tech Daily is reporting that a Google/Earthlink's "sweeping plan to blanket San Francisco with a high speed Internet network is officially dead."

With much fanfare Google has said it would bring free WiFi to San Francisco at an estimated cost of $15 million with partner Earthlink, which now is experiencing financial problems and layoffs.

Kudos to the New York Times for their front page article "Google claims ultimate perk: NASA runway."

• The truth is often stranger than fiction... and a lot funnier.

Seems that Google and NASA have created a special "two-tiered" information super-runway conveniently 7 minutes away from Google's Silicon Valley Headquarters, where only Google's co-founders planes can land takeoff and park, but no other private planes can.

Evidence continues to mount that the Google-DoubleClick merger presents serious anti-competitive concerns.

Let me share a series of antitrust developments over the last several days that cumulatively are very significant.

First, and most ominous, is that Yahoo, the weak #2 in the search market, which used to use Google's search engine, has been actively considering exiting the search business and outsourcing to #1 dominant Google or distant #3 Microsoft, because investors want the greatly expanded investment returns such a revenue-enhancing and cost cutting move would generate for shareholders.  

If you missed The Washington Post's Steve Pearlstein's incisive and on point critique of how the campaign for net neutrality has morphed, it surely deserves a read -- its short.

See the header "Whiny Techies II" ("Whiny Techies I" is funny too.)  

The San Francisco Chronicle has a precious article about Google's insatiable appetite for special treatment/corporate welfare: "Google execs take off with landing privileges at Moffet Field."  

Some folks have no shame.

CNET's respected Declan McCullagh produced a sound and fair analysis of what ails net neutrality, which I recommend as a good read on the state of play on the issue. Below is the comment I posted on his piece.

• "Well done Declan. You've produced a sound and fair analysis of why net neutrality has failed to gain traction.
• My only significant quibble is that I would have made more of a point that clearly the issue is not grass roots, but a well orchestrated campaign by Moveon.org and its functional affilliates Free Press, Public Knowledge and the New America foundation -- and its lead corporate sponsor/ally -- Google.
• They have obviously made a political campaign decision to go "dormant" on net neutrality as Mr. Brodsky suggested.
  
• When the Moveon.org crowd decides to re-unleash their dogs on the issue it will burst back onto the scenes again.
  
• My most important takeaway on all this is that this net neutrality "dormancy" exposes this issue for what it is: a manufactured bogus policy issue pushed into the forefront by very sophisticated political/policy operatives -- there is zero grass roots groundswell for net neutrality here -- only millions of Moveon.org email-list puppets on a string... and an apparently insatiable appetite for corporate welfare by Google..."

The US Department of Justice in comments to the FCC said that it is opposed to "net neutrality" per an AP story.

Now both the US Department of Justice and The US Federal Trade Commission, the agencies legally responsible for investigating anti-competitive practices, officially have stated opposition to net neutrality regulation/legislation. 

It is never a good omen for a merger's approval outlook, when EU antitrust authorities can't wait to investigate the impact of the merger and proactively inititiate their own antitrust investigation -- before their official process even gets started.

Google's antitrust lawyers have to be bummed by the development reported by Reuters that: "EU questions customers over Google-DoubleClick deal."