> Since google did some part of the actual mapping, they certainly deserve credit, but of course the whole thing could not exist if GPS wasn't essentially available as a public utility. Maybe if they want to be stingy with the map data forever, they should pay license fees for the GPS technology, since that's a piece of infrastructure they outsource to the public? Or for our individual data, since it's required to build their models?
The problem with this is that it doesn’t really make sense in the context of the world we live in.
Google built the maps and the servers to host them. Google is entitled to monetize their property (in today’s world). Sure GPS is free to them, but that was a gift to society decades ago and it has spawned countless life-improving enterprises.
They already do pay for access to our data - by giving us maps which are not free to them to create and maintain. We all assume that these companies owe us money for the data but if you didn’t want to give Google data you should be paying a fee to access their maps. Companies used to charge - a lot- for maps and that’s why Google maps was amazing. Just look at how much they and others charge for map APIs.
Let's talk about a community that needs water, but doesn't have the capital to drill a deep enough well. Private company comes in, drills the well, and the people rejoice.
But then the price-gouging comes, and it's not exactly simple for anyone to "compete", because if another corporation has deep enough pockets to drill a well in the first place then a) they aren't likely to have gotten that way from generosity, and b) in terms of profit it's much easier to go dig another well elsewhere and just start squeezing a different community.
Exactly how much and for how long do we want to let the company squeeze people since they are "entitled to monetize their property"? What if they give the water away for free, but the "price" to the community is that they are subject to medical experiments without their knowledge or their informed consent, or just without any real ability to opt out? What if every well in every town looks like this, so that people can't vote with their feet?
This is clearly a problem in the limit.. anyone who thinks this general scenario is fine, or that it automatically works itself out somehow is not being serious.
Water just makes this a simple story to understand. There's more nuance and less urgency in a different setting, but most of the basic issues remain the same.
The problem with this is that it doesn’t really make sense in the context of the world we live in.
Google built the maps and the servers to host them. Google is entitled to monetize their property (in today’s world). Sure GPS is free to them, but that was a gift to society decades ago and it has spawned countless life-improving enterprises.
They already do pay for access to our data - by giving us maps which are not free to them to create and maintain. We all assume that these companies owe us money for the data but if you didn’t want to give Google data you should be paying a fee to access their maps. Companies used to charge - a lot- for maps and that’s why Google maps was amazing. Just look at how much they and others charge for map APIs.