Source: Amnesty International –
Responding to a US court ruling declaring Google’s online advertising monopoly illegal, Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, said:
“A rights respecting break-up of Google’s monopolistic hold could be an important first step towards an online world that respects human rights. By eroding the dominance of a single corporation and weakening Google’s control over our data, it makes space that must be filled by actors committed to upholding human rights.”
“Google’s current model thrives on harvesting, analysing, sharing with others and profiting from people’s personal data. This toxic, surveillance-based approach – shared by other Big Tech companies including Meta and TikTok – undermines the right to privacy and has given Google sheer market dominance, leaving no space for alternatives which respect our rights.
Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International
“As the world’s most used search engine, Google wields enormous power over whether people can navigate the internet with assurance that their rights are protected. Every company has a responsibility to respect human rights, and Google has failed to adequately demonstrate how its model can uphold users’ rights.
“It is extremely difficult to go online without having to hand over personal data to Google and other big tech companies, even when you have not signed up for their services or consented to this intrusion and monetization of your private data.
“Now that Google’s advertising services have been ruled an illegal monopoly, it is time to move toward a rights-respecting structural break-up of Google.”