Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) has published a lengthy open letter, in English, from publishing company Axel Springer's CEO Mathias Dopfner to Google's executive chairman Eric Schmidt, saying that fear of Google is justified. Dopfner's letter comes in response to remarks made by Schmidt under the heading 'A chance for growth' that had appeared in FAZ. Dopfner referred to Google's dominance of the internet search, video platform, e-mail and mobile OS markets.
Dopftner said it and many others are dependent on Google. In journalism and other areas, customers find their way to suppliers almost exclusively though Google. Springer knows of no alternative which could offer even partially comparable technological prerequisites for marketing space in its online advertising
Dopfner said Schmidt's comment that those who dislike Google can remove themselves from its listings and go elsewhere, is about as realistic as recommending to an opponent of nuclear power that she or he should stop using electricity.
Dopfner said Google does not need publishers but they need Google, and they are unequal economically. When Google changed an algorithm, one of its subsidiaries lost 70 percent of its traffic within a few days. Dopfner said Schmidt's own book admits that modern technology platforms, such as Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple are even more powerful than most people realise. Dopfner said there should be discussion in the interests of values, understanding of the nature of humanity, worldwide social order and the future of Europe.
