Timcast IRL · October 21, 2020 · 2h 0m
Timcast IRL #152 - DOJ Prepares Antitrust Suit Against Google As Veritas Drops Another Expose
Episode Recap
Timcast IRL #152 featured a discussion on the Department of Justice preparing an antitrust lawsuit against Google, with Tim Pool and co-host Ian Crossland joined by Alan Bakari, Senior Technology Correspondent at Breitbart News and author of a book documenting Big Tech's censorship practices. The conversation centered on Google's dominance in search and advertising, with Tim expressing skepticism that the DOJ lawsuit would be effective since Google makes a quality product and consumers have some choice in search alternatives. The real issue, according to Tim, is Google's integration across multiple platforms like YouTube, which allows cross-subsidization that smaller competitors cannot match. Bakari discussed his book detailing the algorithmic suppression and deplatforming of conservative voices, citing whistleblower testimony from inside Facebook and Google. The panel also covered Project Veritas's latest exposé revealing internal discussions about suppressing right-wing content. Ian Crossland provided context from his experience as co-founder of Minds.com, distinguishing between necessary content moderation for illegal material versus politically motivated censorship. The discussion touched on the political divide in enforcement, noting that Republican attorneys general support the DOJ action while Democrats largely remain silent on Big Tech censorship issues.
TL;DR
- →Tim Pool and Ian Crossland discuss the DOJ's antitrust lawsuit against Google, with Tim arguing the lawsuit is misdirected and unlikely to succeed because Google makes a quality search product consumers choose voluntarily
- →Alan Bakari discusses his book documenting Big Tech's systematic efforts to erase the Trump movement through algorithmic suppression and deplatforming, based on whistleblower accounts from inside Facebook and Google
- →Ian Crossland shares insights from his eight years as co-founder of Minds.com, distinguishing between legitimate content moderation for illegal material versus politically motivated censorship
- →The panel analyzes the Veritas exposé confirming Google employees discussing suppression of conservative voices
- →Tim argues the real antitrust concern should focus on YouTube's dominance and how Google cross-subsidizes platforms using profits from other services
- →Discussion highlights political disparity in Big Tech enforcement, with Republicans pursuing antitrust action while Democrats largely ignore censorship issues
Key Moments
- 0:00Opening and DOJ Suit IntroductionTim Pool introduces the main topic of the DOJ antitrust lawsuit against Google and expresses initial skepticism about its effectiveness
- 4:56Alan Bakari Book DiscussionGuest Alan Bakari introduces his book documenting Big Tech's censorship of the Trump movement based on whistleblower testimony
- 8:00Censorship MechanicsDeep dive into algorithmic suppression and behind-the-scenes content manipulation by major tech companies
- 12:00Ian Crossland Platform PerspectiveCo-host Ian Crossland provides firsthand experience with content moderation decisions at Minds.com
- 15:00Project Veritas AnalysisDiscussion of the latest Veritas exposé confirming internal discussions about suppressing conservative content
- 18:00Political Enforcement DivideTim notes that Republicans are leading the antitrust push while Democrats receive a pass on censorship issues
Notable Quotes
“The DOJ lawsuit is very much focused on search and how they manipulate search. No, the issue is that YouTube, for instance, which we're on, is heavily subsidized by other areas of Google.”
— Tim Pool · critique of DOJ lawsuit scope
“It's not my opinion, this is the opinion of whistleblowers inside Facebook and Google and all these companies who told me this is what they're doing and it started literally the day after the election.”
— Alan Bakari · book source explanation
“If google's writing their own terms of service that are like they can censor and delete whatever they want that's a big deal that's different.”
— Ian Crossland · distinguishing censorship types
“I think Google makes a really good point. I don't use Bing. I don't want to use Bing. I do use DuckDuckGo sometimes, you know. So there are choices when it comes to search.”
— Tim Pool · consumer choice argument
“What we're seeing now is the political manipulation for power, versus censoring things when you have to because it might be illegal.”
— Ian Crossland · political censorship vs legal moderation