Visionary Discussion:
The audience was encouraged to actively participate in a question and answer session with David Drummond, Vice President of Google. David Drummond is not only a business person but also a visionary. The discussion was intended to be interactive, with questions from the audience and Twitter interspersed throughout the conversation.

David Drummond’s Introduction:
David Drummond thanked the audience for coming and expressed his enthusiasm for discussing important issues. He asked the audience what they would like to talk about.

Arkady Dvorkovich’s Question:
Arkady Dvorkovich, representing Skolkovo, a national organization or project, asked David Drummond about his vision for the future of the internet.

The Internet Economy’s Beginning:
David Drummond expresses his belief that the internet economy is still in its early stages and holds enormous potential for economic development, democracy, and freedom.

Google’s Journey:
Drummond recounts Google’s humble beginnings 13 years ago, starting from a dormitory room, and highlights its subsequent impact on economies, societies, and culture.

Global Companies and Entrepreneurship:
Drummond acknowledges that most global companies have been American but emphasizes that this trend will not persist. He predicts a surge of global companies serving diverse regions and originating from unexpected places, driven by entrepreneurial creativity.

Interconnectedness and Breaking Barriers:
Drummond discusses the growing interconnectedness, networks, and translation capabilities that are breaking down historical barriers. He anticipates a flourishing of entrepreneurship and companies across borders as a result.

Google’s Global Talent Acquisition:
Drummond explains Google’s strategy of establishing development centers worldwide to attract smart people from diverse regions. He emphasizes the company’s interest in being part of burgeoning entrepreneurial ecosystems globally.

Google Ventures and Startup Support:
Drummond mentions Google Ventures, a venture capital arm investing in startups in the United States, and expresses a desire to expand this program internationally. He highlights Google’s entrepreneurial outreach initiatives, such as working with startups, incubators, and boot camps, to support the internet ecosystem.

Addressing Fears of Brain Drain:
Arkady Dvorkovich raises concerns that global corporations may attract top talent, leading to a brain drain from Russia.

Regulatory and Legal Environments for Homegrown Innovation:
Aram Sinraich asked about the necessary regulatory and legal environments for fostering homegrown innovation.

David Drummond’s Response:
Drummond emphasized the importance of balance in regulatory frameworks. He cited the U.S.’s early approach to IP policy and safe harbors as examples of fostering innovation while protecting intellectual property rights. Drummond stressed the need to recognize intermediaries as platforms, not publishers, to avoid holding them responsible for platform content. He advocated for user choice, transparency, and control over data collection, rather than strict prohibitions.

Cooperation and Interaction between Large Corporations and Governments:
Arkady Dvorkovich raised the question of cooperation and interaction between large corporations and governments. He noted the significance of large corporations’ products in everyday life and the need for some form of interaction or synchronization.

Drummond’s Stance on Cooperation:
Drummond expressed his hope for positive cooperation but recognized the potential for challenges. He emphasized the need for a cooperative approach, especially in areas like cybersecurity and content moderation.

Google’s Responsibility to Users:
Google has a responsibility to ensure users understand how their data is being used and inform them when governments request the removal of information from the web.

Importance of Internet Openness:
Drummond emphasizes the internet as a powerful platform for freedom of expression and creativity, and believes it should remain open.

Concerns about ITU Negotiations:
The upcoming negotiations on telecommunications regulations at the ITU raise questions about whether the UN should be involved in governing the internet. Some argue that the current multi-stakeholder process without government control is the best model for the internet.

Balkanization of the Internet:
Drummond warns against the balkanization of the internet, where governments restrict citizens’ access to global content. He highlights the importance of keeping the internet open for social products that connect people across borders.

Sergei Brin’s Criticism of Closed Models:
Drummond discusses Sergei Brin’s criticism of closed models like Facebook and Apple, which limit the flow of information and create borders. He believes that the internet’s openness has led to user value, creativity, and innovation.

Balancing Openness and Privacy:
While advocating for openness, Drummond acknowledges the need for privacy and individual control over personal information.

Google+ Success and Integration:
Drummond disputes the notion that Google+ has been unsuccessful, citing millions of sign-ups and its role in making Google more social. He highlights the integration of Google+ with other Google services like YouTube and Gmail, enhancing their social features.

Rupert Murdoch’s Criticism of Google and Content Rights:
Drummond acknowledges Rupert Murdoch’s criticism that Google is stealing money from content creators by not fairly compensating them for their work. He suggests that there are different perspectives on this issue and that Murdoch’s investment in content production influences his views.

Platforms and Content Creators:
Platforms like YouTube are opportunities for content creators, allowing them to reach a wide audience and monetize their content. The platform is not the publisher and should not be held responsible for copyright infringement issues.

Technical Solutions to Piracy:
YouTube’s Content ID system allows content providers to identify and remove unauthorized uploads effectively. This technical solution is widely used by content producers and works well in combating piracy.

SOPA Debate:
The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) aimed to shut down websites for copyright infringement. Google opposed SOPA, arguing that it would stifle freedom of expression and innovation. The right approach is to find a balance between protecting copyright and preserving innovation.

Balancing Copyright Protection:
Copyright protection is essential for content creators to benefit from their work. However, overly restrictive copyright laws can hinder innovation and freedom of expression. The focus should be on finding a balance that protects creators’ rights while fostering creativity and technological advancement.

Engineers in Leadership:
David Drummond emphasized the growing trend of artists and filmmakers using platforms to directly reach their audience without relying on traditional intermediaries. He highlighted the significance of ensuring that these avenues remain accessible in the future.

Engineering Culture and Data-Driven Decision-Making:
Drummond spoke about the advantages of having companies led by engineers who understand how to build things. He explained that an engineering culture emphasizes data-driven decision-making and discourages reliance on superstitions, instincts, or business school analyses not grounded in real-world evidence. This approach has served Google well, as it encourages testing and empirical evidence before implementing changes on a large scale.

Google’s Mission Beyond Web-Based Services:
Drummond clarified that Google has a broader mission beyond providing web-based services. He emphasized the company’s goal of using technology to serve the world.

Google’s Approach to Innovation:
Google’s commitment to pushing forward hardware and physical products, such as Google Glass and driverless cars. Dedicating a small portion of effort to exploring crazy ideas with the potential to lead to useful products.

Google’s Role in Providing Devices and Services:
Google’s natural progression into providing map information and location services. The expectation that Google will offer devices and services that serve as entry points to the web.

Predicting the Next Technological Revolution:
The belief that advancements in software, computing power, and hardware will combine to create game-changing devices. Uncertainty about the specific nature of these devices but confidence in their transformative potential.

Google’s Perspective on Internet Freedom:
Google’s pride in its contributions to enhancing freedom through access to information. Acknowledgment of the responsibility that comes with being a large company, including the need to behave ethically and focus on user benefits.

Maintaining High Standards and Transparency:
Google’s commitment to holding itself to a high standard and recognizing that mistakes will be made. Emphasizing transparency and openness to discussions about its actions and policies.

Dynamic Nature of the Internet:
David Drummond acknowledges the fluidity and openness of the internet, emphasizing how quickly dominant positions can change.

Ephemeral Dominance:
He cites examples like Myspace and Google’s early days to illustrate how market dominance can be short-lived.

User Choice and Competition:
Drummond stresses that Google’s success is based on user choice, not restrictive practices like Microsoft’s past behavior.

Avoiding Monopoly Behavior:
He highlights Google’s commitment to not hindering competitors’ access to the market, allowing users to easily switch to alternative platforms.

Mindfulness of Impact:
Drummond acknowledges the need for Google to be mindful of its global impact and take responsibility for its actions.

Main Obstacles for Google in Russia:
Corruption at various levels.

David Drummond’s Response:
Google has had a positive experience in Russia and plans to continue its presence. Russia is a competitive business environment. Yandex is a strong competitor in Russia.

Google’s Approach to Intellectual Property Regulation:
Intellectual property regulation can affect the growth of local web businesses. Case study: Regulation in China hindered the development of local search engines.

Google’s Conviction in Italy:
Google was convicted in Italy for a video uploaded to Google Video that violated the privacy of a child. The prosecutor argued that Google was responsible for the video even though they had taken it down immediately. This conviction highlights the potential legal risks that platforms like YouTube and Facebook face when dealing with user-generated content.

The Importance of Balancing Innovation and Regulation:
Strict laws can stifle innovation by making it too difficult for platforms to operate. Platforms need to have clear policies and be cooperative with authorities, but they also need flexibility to innovate. A balance needs to be struck between protecting users and allowing platforms to continue to innovate.

Google’s Position on Closed Networks:
Google believes that innovation would be stifled if the internet were dominated by closed networks like Facebook. Closed networks prevent users from easily sharing information between different platforms. Google argues that users should be able to take their data with them when they switch platforms.

Google’s Relationship with Apple and Facebook:
Google has a number of partnerships with Apple, including the integration of Google services on iPhones. Google has expressed a willingness to cooperate with Facebook and other platforms to make their content more accessible.

Google’s Transparency and Data Privacy Policies:
Google complies with EU regulations on information about privacy issues. EU citizens can address Google UK to retrieve information Google has about them. Currently, American regulations do not allow individuals to retrieve information that Google stores about them. Google has designed its transparency products and user notices to allow users across the board to find information, even beyond what is required by US law.

Mobile Operating Systems and Innovation:
The mobile operating system market is divided between three major players: Apple, Google, and the remains of Symbian. Android, which didn’t exist three years ago, is an example of how technology markets can change rapidly. David Drummond believes that there will be a lot of innovation in the mobile operating system space, and that incumbents may not be able to maintain their current positions. Chrome OS is another example of an open-source operating system that Google is bullish on.

Policy and Innovation:
Countries that adopt restrictive policies that close down avenues for innovation will be at a disadvantage. Countries that recognize the need to address social problems while providing flexibility for innovation will be ahead of the game.

Google’s Approach to Google Bombs:
Google’s approach to Google bombs, which are attempts to manipulate search results, has been to deal with them algorithmically. Google has not found it necessary to manually adjust search results or scrutinize the results of indexes.