TOC sarcastically urged the fairness doctrine of “Search Neutrality” as an anodyne to Google’s crony capitalist push for “network neutrality.” Indeed, ye should be careful what ye wish for, Google. “Search neutrality” statists are now on your case.
Neutral search is what you should have championed, and demonstrated beyond all possible doubt. It’s the prime directive for your abandoned motto – “Don’t be Evil.”
Your neutrality is was your sacred trust, and getting straight with that discarded motto is probably a matter of survival as a private company. You promote open source software, though that’s more lip-service than reality. You lobby to make internet infrastructure a government service. Why should you object to enforced “neutral” search?
If people believe that exchanging your search algorithms for those of the Obama Administration wouldn’t make all that much difference, where does that leave you? You need to start thinking about all the things that distinguish you from Orwell’s Ministry of Truth. If you can’t explain these things, you will be assimilated by the O’Borg. And who will notice?