[via Google Blogoscoped]
The German green party, Bündnis 90/ Die Grünen, is worrying about search engine monopolies and a lack of transparency (and a long-lived cookie) in Google. The green party is currently ruling this country in a coalition with the SPD. Their timing for these statements seems a little awkward, as there’s nothing new to be found. Some excerpts from their publication from March 21 [Blogoscope’s translation]:
“For many internet users, Google is synonymous to searching: 75% use Google to find information. The verb “to google” even made it into the dictionary.
Search engines make it easy to find a variety of information online. But they’re doing more than that: they decide on what will be shown first, and what will not be shown at all.
The Green party wants to have a barrier-free access to information. Citizens must be able to gather information from different sources. This is the basis for participating in a democracy. (…)
To avoid depending on one information, the Green party thinks it’s important we strengthen alternatives to search engine monopolists.”