Attached below is a white paper the Media Institute provided to the Federal Trade Commission, “Google and the Media: How Google is Leveraging Its Position in Search to Dominate the Media Economy.”
The Media Institute describes itself as a “a nonprofit research foundation specializing in communications policy issues.” It’s Board of Trustees includes senior representatives of communications companies such as News Corporation, Time Warner and AT&T Services.
Media Institute White Paper
From: Mobileda
By Margaret Rock
A new petition is calling for the Federal Trade Commission to clearly define its investigation practices, which may lead to better protection for companies like Twitter, Facebook and Google.
The Center for Regulatory Effectiveness, or CRE, an industry watchdog, says the FTC, which has the authority to ban practices that cause “substantial injury to consumers,” needs to develop new rules to assess whether companies are using unfair tactics.
The agency claims newer technologies, like social media, are subjected to older rules, putting the FTC in danger of not taking “sound intellectual and legal framework for its work.” The CRE, citing calls by three senior White House officials for better regulation of Internet-based companies, warns FTC investigations may be premature and deliver uneven rulings.
Currently, Twitter and Google are in the midst of an FTC investigation. The agency is also reviewing a petition to examine Facebook.
While not facing an official investigation yet, Facebook has drawn FTC attention and warnings concerning its privacy settings.