News Corp executive chairman, Rupert Murdoch (featured image), criticised Google and Facebook’s business practices at News Corps annual meeting of stockholders.
Murdoch accused the tech giants of censorship, collusion and a lack of transparency while calling for, “significant reform,” of business practices by the digital platforms.
Murdoch said: “For many years, our company has been leading the global debate about big digital.
“What we have seen in the past few weeks about the practices at Facebook and Google surely reinforces the need for significant reform.
“There is no doubt that Facebook employees try to silence conservative voices and a quick Google News search on most contemporary topics often reveals a similar pattern of selectivity — or to be blunt, censorship.
“Secondly, the collusion between the two companies on ad tech as alleged in the Texas Attorney-General’s complaint is extraordinary.
“Let us be very clear about the consequences of that digital ad market manipulation: obviously, publishers have been materially damaged, but companies have also been overcharged for their advertising and consumers have thus paid too much for products,” said Murdoch.
The complaint Murdoch is referencing is an allegation that Facebook and Google struck “an unlawful agreement” to give Facebook “information, speed and other advantages” in ad auctions it ran.
This is supposedly in exchange for Facebook to cede ground to Google in online ad space.
Facebook and Google deny any wrongdoing however Murdoch said this warrants greater scrutiny.
“…these issues highlight the fundamental need for algorithmic transparency. The idea falsely promoted by the platforms that algorithms are somehow objective and solely scientific is complete nonsense,” he said.
“Algorithms are subjective and they can be manipulated by people to kill competition and damage other people, publishers and businesses.”
Murdoch also recently criticised Donald Trump, calling for the former president to look ahead if the country is to prosper and progress.
“The current American political debate is profound, whether about education or welfare or economic opportunity,” the media mogul said.
“It is crucial that conservatives play an active, forceful role in that debate, but that will not happen if President Trump stays focused on the past.
“The past is the past, and the country is now in a contest to define the future.”
Trump has had a strained relationship with Fox since claiming its ratings had completely collapsed following Fox’s early call for Joe Biden’s victory in the last election.
Trump has since developed closer relationships with Fox’s smaller rivals OAN and Newsmax.
