Google Faces Record-Breaking Fine Over Unfair Search

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According to this article, Google the European Commission has put the finishing touches on its seven year investigation of Google and plans to fine the company over $3 billion. The search giant still faces fines over alleged monopoly abuse related to Android as well. Google has the option to appeal any fines levied in the European Court of Justice.

As well facing as a heavy fine, Google will be banned from continuing to manipulate search results to favour itself and harm rivals. The company has fiercely resisted such interference in its algorithms, the heart of its business, and sought to placate regulators with offers to redesign the presentation of results, a gambit that ultimately failed.
 
Amazingly, it seems Europe has and enforces law that are actually prudent to a free and open economy even though most people associate Europe with being socialist.

Conversely, America touts that we have capitalism, yet we let people manipulate anything they want even if it hurts a free economy in the name of free market.

Weird how this works.
 
OEM said:
Amazingly, it seems Europe has and enforces law that are actually prudent to a free and open economy even though most people associate Europe with being socialist.

Conversely, America touts that we have capitalism, yet we let people manipulate anything they want even if it hurts a free economy in the name of free market.

Weird how this works.
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I think European regulators are just taking advantage of yet another competitive American company and finding a way to line their pockets. They did the same bullshit to Microsoft as well.
 
OEM said:
Amazingly, it seems Europe has and enforces law that are actually prudent to a free and open economy even though most people associate Europe with being socialist.

Conversely, America touts that we have capitalism, yet we let people manipulate anything they want even if it hurts a free economy in the name of free market.

Weird how this works.
Click to expand...

Americans believe in competition. Europeans believe in equal outcomes no matter the capability as well as the occasional "we need some money for social services, lets fine some successful American companies who do things better than we can in our own damn Continent."
 
I see the EU is at its old tricks, when in doubt double down on the fines....
 
I wonder how it would effect Google to completely pull out of the EU vs paying 3,000,000,000. I'd like to see what the EU would say to that.
 
The EU. Having the guts to protect consumers where the US fails. Google's massive amount of lobbying and data sharing with 3 letter agencies have worked shield Google from action in the US. The EU is our only hope to keep this beast under some control.
 
Ordeith said:
The EU. Having the guts to protect consumers where the US fails. Google's massive amount of lobbying and data sharing with 3 letter agencies have worked shield Google from action in the US. The EU is our only hope to keep this beast under some control.
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While I don't doubt Google does a fair amount of lobbying, how does that translate to us not being protected? It's not like Google makes you use their search engine. In fact, I can install other apps search engines and use them just fine on my Android. God forbid that Google would integrate their own search engine into their OS and not give props to the competition.

Frankly, the EU can "F" off if I owned a business and they tried to make me tell my customers about the competition too.
 
JL6speed said:
It's not like Google is the only search engine... If you don't like the results you get there, try Bing or Yahoo. I also don't see anything wrong w/ a company promoting in its own favor. Nobody force you to use Google to search.
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Beat me to it.
 
ravx25 said:
While I don't doubt Google does a fair amount of lobbying, how does that translate to us not being protected? It's not like Google makes you use their search engine. In fact, I can install other apps search engines and use them just fine on my Android. God forbid that Google would integrate their own search engine into their OS and not give props to the competition.

Frankly, the EU can "F" off if I owned a business and they tried to make me tell my customers about the competition too.
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Except Microsoft got in anti trust trouble over a decade ago in the US and EU while having to pay huge fines for exactly the same thing.
 
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Also, the argument Google makes is that their own search algorithms are ranking their services at the top without bias, those governments and corporations on the other side say well that's because you are the only ones who know how they work,which is a point of fact.
 
OEM said:
Amazingly, it seems Europe has and enforces law that are actually prudent to a free and open economy even though most people associate Europe with being socialist.

Conversely, America touts that we have capitalism, yet we let people manipulate anything they want even if it hurts a free economy in the name of free market.

Weird how this works.
Click to expand...

"Even if it hurts..."

That is the point, yes.
 
OEM said:
Amazingly, it seems Europe has and enforces law that are actually prudent to a free and open economy even though most people associate Europe with being socialist.

Conversely, America touts that we have capitalism, yet we let people manipulate anything they want even if it hurts a free economy in the name of free market.

Weird how this works.
Click to expand...


Horse shit. The problem here is, they, Google, are requiring all the phone makers to meet certain specifications so ALL the apps work correctly as they have advertised on Android OS'. The EU is punishing them for that, just like they would similarly punish them if the apps did NOT work as advertised on phones that use the Android OS by NOT making manufacturers and re-sellers adhere to the specifications, weird huh?

Far be it from me to defend Google, but just like Dread Pirate Roberts, AKA Ross Ulbricht of the Silk Road, who was denied a fair trial within the United States, Google within the EU is also being denied a fair trial. Country matters not, legality matters not, when your in their cross hairs, they will abuse the legal system to get you. Period.
 
5150Joker said:
I think European regulators are just taking advantage of yet another competitive American company and finding a way to line their pockets. They did the same bullshit to Microsoft as well.
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Maybe it's the murica in Me. Buy I always feel like Europe fines to American companies has always been about them putting money in their pockets.
 
SS_Wehrwolf said:
Horse shit. The problem here is, they, Google, are requiring all the phone makers to meet certain specifications so ALL the apps work correctly as they have advertised on Android OS'. The EU is punishing them for that, just like they would similarly punish them if the apps did NOT work as advertised on phones that use the Android OS by NOT making manufacturers and re-sellers adhere to the specifications, weird huh?
.
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This action isn't about Android, it's about search and web presence. There is a separate anti-trust action underway for Android. Google deserves to be brought to task for both.
 
Chaos Machine said:
Except Microsoft got in anti trust trouble over a decade ago in the US and EU while having to pay huge fines for exactly the same thing.
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Yeah, I thought about mentioning that, but I never agreed with that either. The EU should have been apologizing to Microsoft at this point. Why don't they go after apple for only having Safari on Apple devices and not giving and not telling consumers how to install Chrome or Firefox? It's pure lunacy. I could never wrap my head around telling your customers about your competition.
 
Ordeith said:
This action isn't about Android, it's about search and web presence. There is a separate anti-trust action underway for Android. Google deserves to be brought to task for both.
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Ahh, i misread it then. As for the android one, no, that one is nothing but horse shit. They are damned if they do, damned if they dont in that case.

This one seems assinine to me as well. Its a business, if people pay you to promote their products, they should always get preferential product placement.

Think of it like a grocery store, as an example. So Coke decides they want to support your business with a new Coke cooler. So only Coke products can be placed within it, thats part of the deal. On top of that, they give you a percentage of the profits to offset the electric bill and the room it takes within your store. Now PEPSI didnt pay a cent, they offered you the same deal, at a smaller percentage point, so you took coke up on their offer and sell coke products at the front of your store, while PEPSI is relegated to the 3rd isle with the rest of the soda. Whats the problem? Thats perfectly legal, right?

Now think about coke and FIFA, why isnt PEPSI also allowed to sell its products there as well? Sure they didnt win the bidding contest, but according to the EU, thats legal, and search is not? Anyone who goes to EURO 16, just like anyone who goes to google.com, is only going to see the items that sponsored FIFA to begin with, just like anyone who sponsors google is only going to see those products first when they use google. Dont even start with FIFA, that corrupt organization is a joke, but its a good example.

Why is one legal, the other illegal?
 
SS_Wehrwolf said:
Why is one legal, the other illegal?
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Because Coke doesn't have over 80% of the market all to itself, leaving every other cola vendor fighting for their lives over the scraps. If Coke had over 80% of the market and paid every business in an area to NOT carry competitors products as a way of leveraging their resources to maintain that market dominance it would be a problem. Even you can probably see that.
 
Ordeith said:
Because Coke doesn't have over 80% of the market all to itself, leaving every other cola vendor fighting for their lives over the scraps. If Coke had over 80% of the market and paid every business in an area to NOT carry competitors products as a way of leveraging their resources to maintain that market dominance it would be a problem. Even you can probably see that.
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In other words, like Intel for most of the 2000s.
 
OEM said:
Conversely, America touts that we have capitalism, yet we let people manipulate anything they want even if it hurts a free economy in the name of free market.
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Capitalism IS Maniuplation/Competition. Buying/compromising regulators/politicians, or other might (economic or otherwise) makes right, monopolistic tactics to gain advantage over others IS Capitalism/Competition. Those who benefit (including the 1% of the 1%) are simply OUT-COMPETING those who DON'T benefit. Until this simple truth is recognized and accepted, there will be NO CHANGE. One cannot (and will not) change that which they refuse to accept or acknowledge NEEDS TO BE CHANGED.
 
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