Question

Evaluate the following statement: "Google holds a dominant position in the search engine market. Even though they are a near monopoly, they should not be regulated by the government because they give their search engine services away for free."

Answer 1

I would like to criticise the statement. Google is not a non-profit firm which has a certain aim but it is a profit-maximizing firm. It is giving its wonderful service free of cost, this does not mean that they are not earning money. Google has many ads and these ads create consumer purchase decision. So, they get paid by third parties when a person browses through google. Thus, even though it is offering first-hand free service, there is a good reason that it should be monitored by the government.