Google as an Information Monopoly
Résumé
Google benefited from the commodification of the Internet during the last two decades in order to consolidate its dominance and become one of the largest and most powerful multinationals on earth. The company uses its exorbitant market power to eliminate any potential or real competition; it exploits loopholes in the regulatory framework to prevent the authorities from effectively limiting its hold over digital communication channels; it takes advantage of financial globalization to increase its profits and avoid taxes; it massively collects and exploits the personal data of Internet users. Far from the image of “naïve giant” that it cultivates, Google has real political influence. It participates, voluntarily or not, in the massive surveillance of the population by the security services and is utilized for political propaganda.