While I completely support this, it's clearly politically motivated and because of that approach probably won't actually be good in the long room. Google's use of data and clout is insanely more insidious and damaging to consumers.

I hear you, and Google is indeed fucking evil. But this is super bi-partisan, and Letitia James is definitely not motivated by the belief that Facehook is censoring right-wing commentary.

".......and Google is indeed fucking evil."

Which is so very ironic, don't you think?

Exactly. Though it's very much in keeping with my policy of assuming that anyone who constantly posts on social media about how happy they are is probably borderline suicidal.

Honest and non-trolling question: Why is Google's use of data and clout more damaging to consumers?

I ask because out of all the tech megas - Facebook, Apple, TikTok, Microsoft, etc - at least Google generally seems to be trying to do "the right thing." They don't always get it right, but I mean, they left China and still won't do business there (despite some reports of potential backsliding). They mostly get flak for shutting down ventures when users still use them, at least that I can recall. Privacy brushes include the wifi data collection thing which they had a plausible explanation was a mistake, shut down completely, and compared to Facebook seems like nothing.

Facebook on the other hand is actively destroying democracy, creating an almost perfectly machine-accelerated radicalization system. They routinely introduce privacy-damaging features, and even their walk-backs after backlash are half-hearted. Facebook seems plainly awful. But I (with an open mind to be convinced) don't get the Google hate,

Remember when facebook, myspace, and twitter were just trends?

Remember when autoplay was bad? Remember when you could actually control your work flow and data?

Whatever.

Awesome, but I'm not holding my breath. I'll be curious to see how this turns out after Biden takes over.

The good news is, there are two suits, the FTC's and another one from almost all of the state Attorneys General, which won't be affected by whatever Biden does.

A somewhat pessimistic take from Vanity Fair:

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/12/facing-a-legal-onslaught-mark-zuckerberg-gets-ready-to-fight-back

.