Hey, Justice Department: Back off from Google!

Line art cartoon of a man in a business suit riding a huge duck
I don’t always ride Google’s search engine. (Midjourney synthagraph)

All right, folks, let’s chat. The U.S. Department of Justice has gone after Google with antitrust charges — and honestly, it’s got many of us shaking our heads. Let’s break down what’s going on.

First off, Google isn’t stealing cookies from the cookie jar. They’re spending big bucks, fair and square, to have that sweet spot on our browsers. And guess what? The folks who own those browsers? They’re not forced to sell that spot to Google. They’re choosing to because it’s good business. If some other search engine wanted to fork out the cash, they could have that spot, too.

Now, let’s talk about search results. Yeah, I admit, I use Google. Why? Because for a ton of my searches, they’re just plain better.

But I’m also a fan of underdogs. Bing? They’ve surprised me more than once with top-notch results. And DuckDuckGo? It’s a great way to guard your privacy.

Google isn’t some sinister monopoly; it’s about getting the best bang for your click.

But here’s the rub: whenever someone does well in America, a line of folks is waiting to knock them down a peg.

Remember when Google was a scrappy startup? Where were AltaVista, Magellan, and HotBot when Google was on the rise? Oh, right, they got outpaced.

Think about our homegrown heroes – Amazon, SpaceX, eBay, Tesla, Microsoft, Apple. None got a free pass to the top. They clawed their way up, took risks, and made it big. And now? They’re household names.

Instead of applauding folks who make it big, we’re waiting to tear them down. What’s next? Will we make everyone play on the same level, even if they’re not bringing the same game?

How long before the Biden administration introduces the Equalization of Opportunity Bill?