Update: Following the publication of this editorial, Lyons reached out to AppleInsider to categorically deny the allegations from this piece. Specifically, Lyons said that his article was written before the U.S. Federal Trade Commission findings were released. He also took extreme issue with the fact that the author did not reach out to him for comment before it was published.

The original editorial remains published below, and Lyons's full rebuttal, sent via email Monday morning, is also published in its entirety.

The exposé of Google's "strategy of demoting or refusing to display, links to certain vertical websites in highly commercial categories," as described in the FTC's 2012 investigation, which concluded that "Google's conduct has resulted - and will result - in real harm to consumers and to innovation," was essentially erased from existence in 2013 when Google agreed to make a few minor changes to avoid a federal antitrust lawsuit.