Online Public Relations Thoughts

 Congress is after the big four of tech -- Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple.  A new report of 450 pages proposes to break them up because they have monopoly power.  This means the quartet has no time to lose in explaining to the public and Congress how they are beneficial and a service to society as they are.  It might be a futile quest but the companies could well block action against them for years.  It will take millions in lobbying, PR and publicity, and even that might not be enough.  The four-some might have to willingly cede some market power to preserve the bulk of it -- e.g., abstaining from acquisitions, opening their systems more to outsiders, protecting the public better from predators and conspiracy theorists.  The battle will be epic in scale and will certainly involve the courts at multiple levels.  Not since the prolonged Microsoft battle of the 1980s will technology see more angling for advantage and ground-pounding efforts to build public support.  It will be fascinating to watch.