[fortythirteen]

In most cases, I would agree that Conduent is within their rights to build their own data stream for their product, and cut off a competitor. But, when your product is the redistribution of taxpayer dollars, doing so turns into a government sponsored monopoly.

[noobermin]

I'm happy you agree, but how is being a monopoly better than being a government sponsored monopoly? They result in the same outcome.

[wand3r]

I think the difference is that they are using public funds and public data which they are withholding. Google is/was a natural monopoly due to sheer technological advantage however someone can (and sort of has) built a competing product. There is no way to build a competing product in this case because it relys on data that is being withheld, it is doubly annoying because that data is (or should be) public and is funded by taxpayer dollars.