If I’m searching for coverage of a news story via a search engine, I will always choose any other option than the DM even if its ranking is lower. It is a source of right wing hate, propaganda, racism, and generally all round poor journalism.
and I strongly believe that YOU get to make that decision. I don't believe that google in their monopoly position gets to make that decision on your behalf without clarity into how it's made.
How would that work? Google always decides the order of search results. Are they supposed to show a random result that matches the search terms just to be „fair“?
When monopolies exist. Do we let the government tell them what to do (beyond the laws applicable to all businesses)? Or do we just break them up?
Let's say I accept your claim about Google being a monopoly. Should the government force them to rank sites the way the government wants? Or do we just break up Google?
Having a large share of a market doesn't constitute a monopoly.
> exclusive ownership through legal privilege, command of supply, or concerted action
Google doesn't own exclusive control of the supply of answers to queries about the rest of the web in fact it would almost be silly to even talk about such. Its also not the only game as far as ads
What people are worried in fact is google controls access to a very large share of incoming eyeballs in terms of organic unpaid for results such that ranking you poorly or not at all could harm you despite having no business relationship with google.
This however isn't business because the only customers are searchers and the ads on top of the results.
Whether you appear 3rd or 37th is material to your business but not a matter of google having a monopoly on my eyeballs. The framework which you understand commerce doesn't fit the situation.
If you believe it's worth addressing it will have to be via unique legislation that actually suits.
It's well known that Google uses clicks on search result as a preference signal to modify its ranking. This way, decisions by users turn into decisions by the algorithm.
It doesn’t deserve a click.