Google warned some customers on Thursday that the antitrust bill against the tech giant could endanger the services that small businesses rely on. By turning to customers for assistance, Google may provoke a backlash from small businesses, thereby making legislators hesitate to advance legislation.
Google is sending e-mails to small and medium enterprises that use its advertising, analytics, and free business archive tools, telling them that the antitrust bill in the House and Senate may make your business spend time and money.
Google says these dangers may include:
Make it more difficult for customers to find the business, because the list including address and business hours may no longer appear in Google search results or Google Maps. If Google advertising products are broken up and disconnected from Google Analytics, it will damage the effectiveness of digital marketing.
A Google spokesperson said: We are concerned that the controversial package of bills in Congress may have unintended consequences, especially for small businesses that rely on digital tools to adapt, recover, and reach new customers throughout the pandemic. Google declined to say how many companies it has contacted. Customers who use some Google products will also see a prompt encouraging them to choose to receive more information about their bills.
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Google is not alone in fighting the process of anti-monopoly law amendments. Amazon has also sent letters to warn companies that rely on its platform of the risks of future anti-monopoly laws. Amazon told sellers that these bills could jeopardize their ability to conduct business on its platform. In a broader sense, the bill will prevent companies from favoring their products and services or discriminating against rivals in a way that harms competition. Although nothing in the bill will force Amazon to drive third-party sellers out of its platform, this is Amazon’s policy choice.
Antitrust bills in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate aimed at regulating the largest technology companies are gaining more and more support. A bipartisan group of legislators led by Senator Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota) introduced the American Innovation and Online Choice Act this month, which is a companion bill to legislation in the House of Representatives that prohibits platforms from unfairly favoring their own services.
Google expressed opposition to the bill. Mark Isakowitz, vice president of government affairs and public policy, said: It will break the wide range of useful services provided by leading American companies while making these services more insecure. Less private and less reliable. Google also launched a website for analyzing the legislation and urged its small business customers to register to receive more information about the bill.