[dml2135]

> Google Search has competitors and is not even selling its search product.

The product is not search, it’s ad placements.

[olalonde]

Your comment specifically called out their search product. If your argument is that they have a monopoly on ads, I don't believe that's true either.

[dml2135]

What I mean is that search is not a product in the sense that you can say “search is free” and not have that be misleading in some way.

YOU are the product, being sold to advertisers, and Google search is the channel through which you are sold.

[olalonde]

That's a bit an unconventional take on what free and selling mean, but regardless that wasn't my main point.