Earlier this week, Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google Inc., faced inquisitive Senators during a hearing of the Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee. In a testament to the importance of the hearing, all eight members of the subcommittee were on hand to question Mr. Schmidt. Chairman Herb Kohl (D-WI) set the tone in his opening statement:

…Google has grown ever more dominant and powerful, and it appears its mission has changed.  For the last five years or so, Google has been on an acquisition binge….  This has transformed Google from a mere search engine into a major Internet conglomerate. And these acquisitions raise a very fundamental question -- is it possible for Google to be both an unbiased search engine and at the same time own a vast portfolio of web-based products and services? Does Google's transformation create an inherent conflict of interest which threatens to stifle competition?

Several Senators probed to discern whether or not Google had established such dominance that it was harming marketplace competition. While leaving the determination of a monopoly to the discretion of such government leaders, NRB President & CEO Dr. Frank Wright raised another relevant point earlier this week. “…[L]egitimate questions can and must be asked about whether or not Google’s policies constrain or hinder free speech,” said Dr. Wright.

Indeed, this is the focus of NRB’s newly launched John Milton Project for Religious Free Speech. Its first report cites Google and several other new media platforms for encroachment on First Amendment free speech and free religious expression protections. NRB hopes these platforms will heed these warning signs and self-correct.

• • Statement on Google by NRB President & CEO Dr. Frank Wright
• • NRB’s first report of the John Milton Project for Religious Free Speech
• • Senate Antitrust Subcommittee hearing regarding Google

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