Observed Signal · Oct 14, 2020 · Regulation · Source: OnlineMarketing.de · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Google silences employees on antitrust issues
Google reportedly keeps antitrust topics out of public/internal discussion and trains employees to avoid or minimize engagement with competition concerns. A New York Times exposé cites internal practices, including avoiding antitrust talk in emails or meetings and not recording such discussions. An applicant once questioned Sundar Pichai about potential antitrust implications of a planned merger; while not barred from interview, the person was described as negatively evaluated. The company is said to instruct staff through an annual online course on messaging around antitrust and to label non-legal emails as 'A/C Priv' to shield information from investigators. The piece links these practices to prior FTC investigations in 2013 and ongoing US regulatory scrutiny, raising questions about corporate culture and power dynamics at Google.
Regulatory scrutiny involving a major platform (Google) with antitrust implications for the AdTech/Tech industry.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- US Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law of the Committee on the Judiciary released a report about Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple accusing abuse of power.
- New York Times published details on Google's internal handling of antitrust matters.
- An applicant asked Sundar Pichai about antitrust implications of a planned merger and was negatively evaluated, not formally excluded.
- Google allegedly trains employees to avoid antitrust topics and to communicate in ways that avoid legal risk (quote: 'We are not out to crush, kill, hurt, block, or do anything else that might be perceived as evil or unfair').
- Emails on non-legal topics are commonly labeled 'A/C Priv' (attorney-client privilege) to shield information from the DOJ.
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