The EU treats American companies like a personal piggybank

Madmick said:
I'm claiming that the EU is a glorified mafia cornerman shakedown artist.

Look at the first two "offences".

In #1, they're saying that Google broke antitrust laws because they required Google Search be installed with the Android operating system, but of course Google Search is a core appilcation of the Google Operating System. Know what that means? It means there is no version of Android without Google Search. Even the guys on XDA or other hackers who run "Vanilla Android" are installing a core application pkg (Gapps) that includes Google Search. In fact, the only phones running on Android without Google Search would be hacker-modifications of this package that one would no longer call "Android" because it has been modified-- like Cyanogenmod. Google warns against this even to the hacker community as it may affect overall OS stability. These apps were not designed to be removed.

Meanwhile, #2 is Google committing a crime because they forged contracts where they paid the mobile operators in Europe (like Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile here) a hefty sum in order to install their search exclusively on certain handsets. This is little different than how it used to be here in the USA where, for example, Apple would pay large sums to AT&T, effectively subsidizing them, in order that their physical locations would sell iPhones down at cheap entry prices of $99 or less (or offer better buybacks in store). They would also enjoy unique plan benefits or features (ex. Redzone NFL app for Verizon users).

What "small third party operators" get hurt? They want us to cry for Duck Duck Go, but what pull does Duck Duck Go have? No, it's Samsung with their garbage in-house search app (I'm sure they have one) that gets pushed out. It's whatever bloatware them, Sony, LG, or the rest of them would throw onto your phone in exchange for a cut from that search engine software company. Nobody is preventing these companies from making their own deals, either. Ironically, Google is punished because competitors exist on its platform. Apple didn't even used to allow third party applications for most features. I wonder if they're being sued for the same reason, now? Does them owning the hardware, too, insulate them from this type of thievery? Too big to shakedown?

Perhaps the most obnoxious thing about this is that Google's contracts would have amounted to protecting Europeans from bloatware. It's not like Apple has a search, or the Safari/Siri search (powered by Apple's cloud) on iPhones is available on Android. You wouldn't want a Blackberry search app on an Android. So really it's about those Android phones coming with Google search, and no bloatware crappy third party search apps that a user can download anyway.

It's such a joke.


*Edit* Furthermore, toward Mike's point, most of the third party app developers are Americans. The Chinese are beginning to rival us, but not he Europeans. The companies that would "suffer" by this aren't inherently European, so why are they collecting fines on the behalf of these aggrieved foreigners?

What a goddamn scam that outfit is.
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Thanks for the response. I'm not up on tech and antitrust, but I greatly admire and appreciate the way Google has shaped and streamlined things.
 
Good, The U.S. fucks with European companies, why not give their companies the same treatment. Hopefully we will see more of this in the future, until the U.S. stop fucking over European companies.

To make it clear for the dum dums here, of course this is political and will continue on both sides.
 
They were warned multiple times. Microsoft went through the same thing with explorer and windows. It´s not difficult to get around.
 
Apparently the fine is only a couple of weeks of revenue. Which Google can't really bring back to the US because of their tax avoidance system.
 
Oh damn they got bloodworth.

tenor.gif
 
lol no. They just make them adhere to the law and apply meaningful penalities when needed.
 
The US just set up European car makers who will have to pay a fine in the US.
The US treats German companies like a personal piggy bank.

Those companies are too big anyway. It's time to get back to our authoritarian roots and break up those companies.
Especially Amazon they do a lot more harm than good.
 
In retaliation, Google should take all Google away from the EU for one week.

The EU will be crawling back to Google by lunch time!
 
Prutfis said:
They were warned multiple times. Microsoft went through the same thing with explorer and windows. It´s not difficult to get around.
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Eh, if you're right it adds a little bit of context but they're still stupid laws.
 
Fawlty said:
Are you claiming they abused their laws, or that their laws are abusive? This doesn't sound unreasonable on the surface.
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My only complaint about any phone OS is that I can't remove most of the bloatware unless I jailbreak it or ad a custom ROM. If something like removing those restrictions and allowing users to remove anything they don't want to use is a result of this lawsuit . . . I think I'd be okay with it.
 
Prutfis said:
Anti trust and monopoly laws? They are fine.
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Not in the context of the OP. I don't see the issue with an agreement between manufacturers of phones and Google when the end result doesn't hurt the consumer or even the manufacturer. I don't see how they're entitled to have the Google Playstore

Of course, I am only going off the OP. I don't know anything about EU anti-trust laws or even American ones for that matter. I just see that the violations are BS and were probably crafted without Apps in mind
 
They broke EU law and got fined, why are the usual suspects whining about it?
 
This is the same thing that happened to Microsoft so I can't consider it unusual.
 
Black Helicopters said:
Not in the context of the OP. I don't see the issue with an agreement between manufacturers of phones and Google when the end result doesn't hurt the consumer or even the manufacturer. I don't see how they're entitled to have the Google Playstore

Of course, I am only going off the OP. I don't know anything about EU anti-trust laws or even American ones for that matter. I just see that the violations are BS and were probably crafted without Apps in mind
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Again. Anti trust laws and monopoly laws. Do some reading.
 
Madmick said:
EU: Google illegally used Android to dominate search, must pay $5B fine

Google Search is the heart and soul of the company itself. In fact, this was its first product: a search engine. It's crazy for me to realize that some kids reading this probably don't know that Amazon started as an online bookseller, and Google started as a search engine. That was it.

So now integrating your flagship product into your most valuable product is...illegal? Negotiating contracts in favor of your product over a competitor is illegal? This is monopoly corruption?

Must be easy balancing checkbooks when you institutionalize theft.
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Thankfully the EU will collapse in a few years.
 
The US has been shaking down European firms with huge fines with their bullshit extra-territorial sanctions.

This US was the first to weaponise its financial system, and now complains when the boot is on the other foot.
 
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