Researchers who criticized Google are banished, ripples spread that 'research is endangered by huge companies'



In June 2017, Google was fined about 300 billion yen for violating EU competition law (antitrust law) . Regarding this matter, researcher Barry Lin, a member of the non-profit think tank 'New America Foundation (NAF)' that tackles economic, diplomatic and environmental issues, thinks about the action of the EU European Commission When posted on the website, he was fired from a think tank.

Former Google CEO and Alphabet Chairman Eric Schmidt served as chairman of NAF, a think tank in which Mr. Lin served from 2008-2016. Also, since NAF received over $ 21 million (about 2.3 billion yen) from Google at the time of creation, NAF may have fired Mr. Lin, fearing that funding will be lost. And the ripples are spreading.

Google Critic Ousted From Think Tank Funded by the Tech Giant-The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/us/politics/eric-schmidt-google-new-america.html



I criticized Google.It got me fired.That's how corporate power works .-- The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/08/31/i-criticized-google-it-got-me-fired-thats-how-corporate-power-works/

Google-Funded Think Tank Fires Scholar Who Criticized Tech Giant: NPR
http://www.npr.org/2017/08/31/547491063/google-funded-think-tank-fires-scholar-who-criticized-tech-giant

Scholar says Google criticism cost him job: 'People are waking up to its power' | Technology | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/aug/31/google-new-america-foundation-criticism-job-barry-lynn

Lin was the NAF head of a project called 'Open Markets' that criticized corporate monopolies in the communications and technology industries, and Google was among the critics. When such a post publishes the above article, a few hours later NAF representative Ann Marie Slaughter tells us that 'Eric Schmidt and Google officials are angry about the article' I received a phone call. And two days after the article was published, he was called into Mr. Slaughter's office and told that the entire Open Markets team had to leave the NAF.

Mr. Lin received an email from Mr. Slaughter, stating that the decision was 'not due to the content you created.' NAF Senior Vice President Tyra Mariani also says that the spin-out of Barry's Open Markets program is a last-minute decision between the two parties, and not Google or Schmidt's influence. . The article in question was temporarily withdrawn when it was posted, but Mariani said that it was an internal issue, not intentional, and related to Schmidt and Google. There is no sex.

However, Lin criticized Slaughter succumbing to pressure from Schmidt and Google. 'Google is willing to fund different parts of Washington and Brussels and try to pull the strings behind the scenes. Now people are afraid of Google,' he said.

In addition, Mr. Slaughter tweeted on the article of The New York Times as “This story is false” on Twitter, but quoted specifically what part is wrong. And the New York Times spells that he's not, and he's not even able to interview Slaughter.



Meanwhile, NAF has also commented on the New York Times article. In the document, Slaughter said Open Markets was a project that has been going on for a decade and wasn't new to Google. Lin has repeatedly refused to follow NAF's standards of flexibility and cooperativity, and found that he was dismissed because it was determined that he could no longer work together as part of the same organization.

New America's Response to the New York Times
https://www.newamerica.org/new-america/press-releases/new-americas-response-new-york-times/



In addition, Open Markets hosted a conference on corporate monopoly in 2016, where US Senator Elizabeth Warren and others gave a presentation on how large technology companies are consolidating and consolidating their economies. Slaughter is sending an email to Lin, saying Schmidt and the Google are very concerned about the conference. In the email, `` We are in the process of trying to expand our relationship with Google on some absolutely key points, '' we are trying to expand our relationship with Google. `` Just think about how you are imperiling funding for others, '' Slaughter said when the New York Times picked up the phrase, `` just think about how much you endanger your funding for others. '' The impression is changed by extracting only a part of it. '

In the Interest of Transparency, New America Releases Email Correspondence with Barry Lynn
https://www.newamerica.org/new-america/press-releases/interest-transparency-new-america-releases-email-correspondence-barry-lynn/



In the published email, before the sentence `` just THINK about how you are imperiling funding for others, '' we work so hard with you to get you 11th hour funding. I am working hard to do so) ”, which certainly changes my impression.

However, Mr. Lin seems to see this case as a situation in which independent research is threatened by the strength of companies such as Google. The NAF customarily gives professionals trust-based autonomy, saying that 'the experts say what they want to say.' But Google has changed its attitude as Open Markets has come to the attention of politicians, and because regulators have taken action, especially in Europe, Lin said. Is thinking

'Google is a very sophisticated team of people. They know how they can spend their money and how they can influence to make their wishes come true.' For example, there's a risk that what you're writing about or researching about monopolies in general, Google, and what you should do for the public good of the United States will not be done, 'Lin said.

In addition, Mr. Lin said he is trying to create an independent non-profit organization to continue the activities of Open Markets. The organization, which does not yet have a name, has launched a website called Citizens Against Monopoly and is seeking funding.

Tell Google: Stop Killing Monopoly Research
https://citizensagainstmonopoly.org/

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