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By Graham Jones MP - 26th January 2011
The government must ensure Google's dominance in the online market does not hinder competition and that its power is wielded fairly, says Graham Jones MP.
Though News International's recent attempt to completely take over BSkyB has been the focus of much public scrutiny surrounding competition rules, Google's place in the UK market (which has a bigger market share in its sector than even News International) has been the subject of much less public debate. This afternoon's Westminster Hall debate is an important step in moving this issue onto the political agenda.
Google's UK market share is utterly staggering. To put it in numerical terms, of the 35 million people who used a search engine in the UK last year, 32.4 million of them used Google. This is an 87 per cent market share and it is growing. While we should not want to criticise Google merely for becoming successful, we must ensure that the company's dominance does not hinder competition and that its power is wielded fairly.
As a response to Google's status, people have begun questioning whether this company – itself a child of innovation – is now responsible for the fact that new, innovative search providers are unable to break into the sector. A healthy and competitive market is surely the best way to ensure consumers get ever-improving service.
But beyond its fair-gotten gains, there is also concern in some quarters that Google's position has enabled it to distort the market to its own ends, and to prolong its status as the UK's and the world's dominant search engine. The UK's online experience is not improved by a search provider to which the answer to every question is "Google". Manipulating the results of customers' enquiries to the benefit of Google raises serious competition issues that the government needs to at least be aware of, and should be addressing. Google effectively acts as the 'gatekeeper' to the rest of the world wide web.
'Search neutrality' is the principle that search providers should not editorialise, or give undue prominence to any results. Results must be nothing more than comprehensive, impartial and ordered based entirely on relevance. Search neutrality is a principle sorely needed in the UK. The internet provided more to UK GDP in 2009 than the construction, transport or utility industries; an estimated £100bn. While other sectors are straining under current economic circumstances, the digital economy is booming and innovating.
By straightening out the online market, policies like search neutrality will allow new, innovative online businesses to flourish and take their rightful place, alongside Google.
Graham Jones was elected as Labour MP for Hyndburn in 2010.
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