Updated May 20, 2018

"60 Minutes" takes aim at Google's search "monopoly"

A Google billboard in Bangalore, India. Photo: Manjunath Kiran/Getty Images

U.S. authorities have let Google build a monopoly in internet search that some critics believe is illegal, CBS News' "60 Minutes" reported Sunday night.

Why it matters: A lot of tech insiders joked over the past couple of months that Google was relieved to hand its "domineering tech behemoth" crown to Facebook after the Cambridge Analytica scandal. That reprieve for the search giant may be ending now.

In the "60 Minutes" report, well-known Google critics — including antitrust lawyer Gary Reback and Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman — make the case that Google is a monopoly gatekeeper that uses its power over search to promote its own businesses and smother competitors.

The CBS show suggests that the 2011 FTC investigation of Google fizzled out in 2013 thanks to lobbying by Google, and that more recent scrutiny from the European Union's chief antitrust authority, which has fined Google $2.7 billion, won't be as easy to duck.

But, but, but: The "60 Minutes" report is largely a rehash of familiar complaints against Google from longstanding opponents.

As "60 Minutes" reminded viewers: "Most people love Google." In the U.S., successful antitrust action depends on proving harm to consumers — and that's been challenging with Google.

Go deeper

Axios

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 5 p.m. ET: 1,260,104 — Total deaths: 69,082 — Total recoveries: 258,588 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 5 p.m. ET: 331,151 — Total deaths: 9.441 — Total recoveries: 16,848 — Map.
Federal government latest: Surgeon general says this week will be "our Pearl Harbor, our 9/11 moment." The USDA confirms that a Bronx zoo tiger tested positive for coronavirus.
2020 latest: "We have no contingency plan," Trump said on the 2020 Republican National Convention. Biden says DNC may have to hold virtual convention.
States updates: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state is "literally going day-to-day" with supplies.
World update: Queen Elizabeth II urges the British people to confront pandemic with "self-discipline" and "resolve" in rare televised address.
What should I do? Pets, moving and personal health. Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

Subscribe to Mike Allen's Axios AM to follow our coronavirus coverage each morning from your inbox.

Keep ReadingUpdated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Ursula Perano

Tiger at Bronx Zoo tests positive for coronavirus

A Malayan tiger cub in its enclosure at the Bronx Zoo on April 27, 2017. Photo: Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images

A Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to statements from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Wildlife Conservation Society, which manages the New York City zoo.

Why it matters: It's the first known animal to test positive for the virus in the United States. The tiger is believed to have contracted the virus from an asymptomatic zookeeper.

Go deeper1 hour ago - Health

Zachary Basu

Boris Johnson admitted to hospital as coronavirus symptoms persist

Photo: Ray Tang/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been admitted to the hospital for tests as a "precautionary step" as his coronavirus symptoms have continued to persist 10 days after testing positive, according to a Downing Street spokesperson.

Why it matters: Johnson was the first major elected leader to test positive for the coronavirus. He was admitted to the hospital on the same day that Queen Elizabeth II gave a rare televised address to the nation, urging the British people to confront the pandemic with the same "self-discipline" and "resolve" that has defined the country in times of crisis.

Go deeper2 hours ago - World