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Congressman Warns FTC: Leave Google Alone
concealment writes with this selection from Ars Technica: "A Democratic congressman who played a leading role in the fight against the Stop Online Piracy Act earlier this year has taken up a new cause: shielding Google from antitrust scrutiny. In a strongly worded letter to Federal Trade Commission chairman Jon Leibowitz, Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) praised Google's contribution to the nation's economy. He warned Leibowitz that if the FTC does choose to initiate an antitrust case against Google, Congress might react by curtailing its regulatory authority."
I don't know, but why always a congressman sticks his nose in something it starts smelling fishy.
Maybe because Congressmen rarely do anything when they don't have a direct vested interest in the corporation involved.
What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
One of more ignorant things I've read lately. Do yourself a favor, and read up on the history of the corporation as individual. One interesting thing you'll find out (among many others) is that although it is frequently referred to as if it is enshrined in law, it is not. It's a fiction passed off originally by the railroads in an attempt to fend off anti-trust regulation.
I'm really mystified by this notion that corporations would have free reign if they weren't legally people (which they aren't). You don't really believe Congress is powerless to pass laws which regulate entities other than individuals, do you?
A corporation does not shield anyone from breaking the law. Anyone who breaks the laws will be subject to prosecution under the law. If someone is directing others to break the law, and that can be shown as fact, they are more liable because more ranges of charges and liability would apply (racketeering, operating criminal enterprises and so on). The corporation denotation stops people who took no active role in the crime or managing of the company they own (or own stock in) from being held personally liable. The CEO and board have a fiduciary duty to operate the company within the laws and rules and regulations for those shareholders.
The problem with your confusion is that some laws carry only a fine for a penalty and corporations generally are the ones who pay that penalty. Another problem is that often criminal prosecution requires more evidence that what can be gained when asking tight lipped people questions. Think about how many times a case goes unprosecuted because witnesses are more scared of the perpetrators then the law and refuse to offer eye witness accounts of insights into why something happened. What can be more scarier then potentially being the one who could cause you and everyone else around you to lose your jobs and retirement. People will not volunteer to do that normally unless they have more to lose themselves.