Imagine a web without Google, where alternatives to popular freemium products exist. DuckDuckGo for search, Brave for browsing, Proton Mail for webmail, and even a web beta of Apple Maps are available for free. What would be different in a web without Google goes beyond utility to touch on implications for service delivery and the public sphere.
While Google touts a grand mission of organizing information, its business model thrives on tracking and profiting from user data. This model, based on targeted advertising, has enabled Google to amass huge sums of revenue. The dominance of Google’s tracking-based model impedes the growth of pro-user approaches.
Google’s market power stems from its control over user data derived from its search dominance. Its prevalence on Apple devices, achieved through substantial payments to Apple, solidifies its position. The antitrust ruling against Google reveals how the company’s practices stifle competition and innovation.
Google’s infrastructure, including Chrome and adtech, dictates the business models of the web. While Google is exploring new adtech models with its Privacy Sandbox project, its dominance creates challenges for user privacy and competition. Regulatory scrutiny has had mixed results in pushing Google towards more privacy-centric approaches.
Google’s market power
Google’s market dominance is driven by its ownership of user data, particularly from search. Its payments to Apple for search default placement on iOS devices have been a core focus of antitrust investigations.
The vision of a post-Google web includes well-regulated digital spaces, privacy zones, and AI that serves the users. Alternative products like Signal and ProtonMail showcase the potential for a more privacy-centric web. The momentum to challenge surveillance capitalism signals a shift towards a more user-friendly digital economy.
An alternative approach
The future of the web without Google could open up opportunities for startups and communities to reshape the digital landscape. Potential remedies from antitrust cases could lead to a breakup of Google’s infrastructure, allowing for a more diverse and user-centric digital ecosystem to emerge.
