Google is much more than a search engine nowadays and i would like a source for that last statement. Advertising helps run those sites far more than refferals.
Those pay money to put ads on their websites which isn't the same as refferals. Those couldn't run without advertising antways so i don't know why you mention it at all.Advertisers spend tens of billions of dollars to be referred by these websites; that's why we're able to use them with out incurring any monetary cost.
That influence is overblown greatly. Sure people probably use Google to get here but so what? Could Google manipulate search results? Yep. Do they? No. Could ypu use another service if Google was manipulating search results? Yes. Your argument on inlfuence falls apart right then and there.2. No one is claiming that Google or Facebook are forcing users into using their services or that they have the power to directly determine the content of other websites. Once again, you are misunderstanding the difference between influence and control. The algorithms which Google use to direct people across the web clearly influence the websites that people end up visiting; if I had to bet, most of TWC's users found the site through Google.
And as Prod's source pointed out you can't force them to be neutral without breaking the law.3. I know that platforms are not required to be neutral. That's why we're having this conversation in the first place.