The poll, first shared with The Hill, was conducted by Data for Progress on behalf of The American Economic Liberties Project, a vocal critic of tech giants.
Asked to choose between two statements that best fit their view of Big Tech companies, 60 percent said the companies “have too much power in the market, which puts competitors at a disadvantage and hurts both smaller businesses and consumers.”
The majority opinion was shared across party lines with 65 percent of Democrats, 63 percent of independents and 53 percent of Republicans expressing that view, according to the poll.
Just 30 percent of respondents said the companies “showcase the best of American innovation and capitalism, and are deserving of the profits and market power they have achieved.”
The poll surveyed 1,227 likely voters nationally using web panel responses between Sept. 13 and 14. The poll was conducted just after the start of the trial over the Department of Justice’s antitrust case targeting Google’s power in the search market.
The poll also found that 58 percent of respondents would be open to trying an alternative search engine introduced by Apple.
The government argues that Google has stifled innovation by harming rivals through anticompetitive practices. Google has pushed back and argued the value of its products has allowed the company to become a default search engine, rather than through harming rivals.
Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.
