Very few companies (in the grand scheme of things) have access to your data, and even fewer have the same amount of access to all of your data. Google probably has the most data on its users out of all companies, tracking page usage through its adverts program of users and being able to tailor advertisements specifically to them. Google has part of a data monopoly (or, more correctly, data oligopoly, meaning very few firms dominate the market) and they know it. And yet one piece of the puzzle is missing, Google has absolutely zero market share in China.
The CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai, in an interview with Nikkei has spoken out about data monopoly, recognizing the concerns about it. He claims that Google is aware of the privacy concerns and that they strive to retain user anonymity and provide a great user experience. With Google owning 80% of the search industry and having over one billion users the privacy concerns surrounding the Alphabet Inc. owned firm are genuine. Meeting scrutiny from both consumers and antitrust regulators from the European Commission, Google is under fire from all directions.
And still, Google is under investigation for other violations, not just abuse of its search engine monopolization. Allegedly abusing its position in the phone market with Android, Google may face yet another fine in the near future.
And as regards the future of Google in China, Pichai stated that Google is playing for “the long term”. In 2010 Google exited the Chinese market (giving up a massive market of potentially twice the amount of residents of the US) after an attack targeted its services from within China, after they had already conformed to the censorship laws of mainland China.
Pichai also stated that Google has helped Chinese companies expand globally, that the expansion back into China will come eventually, and that Google “will figure out a thoughtful way to engage [the Chinese market], at the right time.”
Source: Nikkei
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