European regulators have not received any fine money yet; Google is appealing the fines.
"With the announcement on Wednesday, the European fines against Google total roughly 8.2 billion euros, or $9.3 billion. But the bloc has not received any of the money yet; Google is appealing the earlier decisions, and is mulling whether to appeal the most recent ruling."
And what is $9.3 billion in fines when compared with $137 billion in annual revenue. It’s merely a relatively small cost (less than 7 %) of doing business as usual. And, in the United States, Google is not being fined at all.
"Annual revenue at Google’s parent company, Alphabet, reached $137 billion last year, compared with $22 billion a decade earlier. On Wednesday, Google shares rose 2 percent."
1
Europe has a different interpretation of antitrust than we have in the US. It is obvious Google has a new & probably superior model regarding retail advertising. Some would consider this progress or would consider this disruptive to older business models. I guess we could have prevented the diesel locomotive from being developed because when this was a new technology and it put steam engines out of business (and all those jobs). I find it interesting that there are no major technology companies in Europe. They are either in the US or China.
Use Mozilla Firefox. Search with Duck Duck Go. They are both terrific, free (donations welcome!) and keep the scrolling ads off your screen.
Meantime, don't blame Trump for this. The antitrust enforcement under Obama was no better. Thank God for the EU, the whipping boy of U.S. capitalism.
I'm thankful for Europe and it's oversight of these tech corporations.
Your narrative is not neutral. The aggressiveness is not on the regulator's side but on tech giants' that use their power and the tardiness of lawmakers to maximize profits.
For instance: I have a microsoft windows phone and I still cannot use Google Search, while all iPhones can.
It may not be necessary to breakup of companies like Google, Microsoft, Facebook or Twitter if the is REAL antitrust protection, copyright/patent infringement protection and enforcement. Some of the companies steal hard to come by intellectual property from one man shops to small businesses. They talked and talked about breaking up Microsoft and that has yet to happen.
Google offers extremely valuable products at no cost to user. Their competition has nothing that match the quality of their offering. I know because I have tried most of them. So if you don’t like google don’t use them, as simple as that. I strongly believe that if google would charge customers to use search, YouTube, maps etc... most people would pay for it, that is how good they are. Without google products the internet would not be as useful.
Let’s me hear what is that you don’t like about google, apart about the privacy issue that is common to all web applications.
1
They got off easy. the fine should of been $17 billion. google wants to collect money from every source on the internet and they want total world domination. $1.7 billion is nothing. A slap on the wrist. they should simply say that google is allowed only five days a week in Europe after paying the fine. The same should be done in the US and Asia. google only gets its power if it si allowed to exist. It controls and dominates search and should brought under control by limiting its days of existence.
1
Take your 20 best friends with you to the polls. If there was more voter participation we would find this country is far more progressive then Fox News has the pollsters believing/reporting.
1
Interesting...
Using Google to Google their US income tax paid, last two years...
https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/goog/financials
According to this, paid $12.6B in 2017 – but ~$10B less than that in 2018...
Meanwhile, paying ~$10B in Euro-fines, over about the same period...
If this is the way things are going to work, we need to exit Google (Glexit?) from the US and EUroize them forthwith...
Once they are like an Airbus – but flying around in cyberspace – we can just fine them when we need some quick cash, as does the rest of the world...
Why not Geügle – that has a nice Alsatian twang to it...
Then, sky’s the limit...
Eüber’s next – and we hit them up every year for the next twelve for reparations to pay for fixing the NYC subways...
Böeing would follow – except they already got one of those...
This is why a-ha moments are to be treasured...
Bo Ing Aerospace/Sinospace...
We could start charging tariffs before the NYSE closes this PM...
And make them install iPads and decent WiFi in all the seatbacks...
Today, proud to be a European.
2
Why can’t America be as proactive as Europe in protecting consumers from these behemoth tech companies? We all know the accusations are true. We all know that these companies basically represent everything capitalism should not be. It should not be monopolistic. It should not be non competitive. Yet that’s exactly what Google and Facebook are. In retrospect, the breakup of the Bell System many years ago pales in comparison to the tech giants of today. So why are we not breaking them up?
1
Europe can no longer produce or steal from colony states, so they rely on courts to generate wealth.
1
This is a good decision, and not just the fine, a good whack on the head, but more importantly that these large monopolies change their business practices. A monopoly by merit is one thing and fine, a monopoly by artificially restricting trade is different, usually not good.
We can’t allow today’s information or operating systems or many web services, like the trains of old, to buy up an oil or a steel company and then refuse to carry anyone else’s steel or oil. That is not real competition, its restricting competition. Microsoft went down the same path. Google, Amazon, and others are all trying to get away with what they can too, until someone notices. It is not sustainable, or desirable, and it has to stop.
You could split Search, Android, Chrome, YouTube and Maps into separate companies, and each would still be top dog in their field, because they are simply better than their competitors. All of these services are provided at no charge, instead, Google sells ads. Not one commenter, or the EU, has suggested a better way to make the money necessary to provide these services, because neither Americans or Europeans like to pay for them. Perhaps the EU could invest the fines to create European competition, but good luck getting anyone to pay for it.
3
1.7 billion is pocket change to Google.
3
Google's expertise in 'search' is huge. Add to it their own infrastructure of servers around the world, and you have 'power'.
Hackers hate Google/Alphabet because they can't make any money. Apple used to be impenetrable, tech wise, when they were 'new'.
So Europe thinks fines will give it 'control'? BTW, where do the fines go if not in the purses of regulators?
1
Appears that Google has just become Europe’s newest cash cow.
1
Good for the Europeans!
1
let's see. we know Google has deep pockets. we also know that the economies of some EU countries are not very good: France and Germany--not great right now. Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece--all on the proverbial toilet. wonder if there's an unspoken reason the EU keeps fining Google. hmmmm...
@bored critic Maybe it is because they committed a crime, nah corporations never break the law, do they.
If the US had a functional government that operated in the interests of Americans, you'd be doing the same as Europe.
Unfortunately, America doesn't have a functional government. Trump and his R cohorts are systematically dismembering all forms of protection of the 99%. The EPA is run by coal companies, bank regulation was gutted leading up to a $1.5 trill tax cut, Climate Change is ignored, FAA oversight is relegated to the airlines, your consumer protection agency is run by industry lobbyists, and according to Trump, he can override justice and pardon himself.
The sordid list goes on and on.
Trump is symbolic of what the rest of the world detests about the minority of powerful Americans. IMO, Trump is racist, crass, relentlessly promotes himself, and utterly vulgar on a global scale.
The America that saved the world from Nazis no longer exists. America needs to radically upgrade its system of government that has decayed into such a debacle.
32
@Felicity J Trump has been President for only two years ; tech companies have been a problem for a lot longer. If a president is to blame , pick on Obama
4
The European economy generally is usually in the doldrums. They have difficulty competing with China and the USA. They fight back by fining foreign companies. They anchor themselves economically by kissing up to skcialism. What one of our companies is next for the hangman.
By the way, where is Microsoft in the stories about monopolization (last 20 years at least)?
How is this all about Google or Amazon or Facebook only?
@ss Been there, done that, didn't matter. Microsoft always argued that Windows wasn't a problem even though it seemed like it clearly was a problem. Eventually, Windows became not too much of a problem. I have a Linux Desktop, an Apple tablet, an Android phone and somewhere I have a Google Chromebook. Not so necessary to be "Microsoft compatible" all over the place now. I sense the EU's whack-a-mole games with Google will turn out the same. A few fines here and there, ultimately won't matter since the world will keep changing and old ways of dominating markets will not matter so much. I worry more about *regulated* monopolies like healthcare where innovation is explicitly verboten, new players are not allowed to even exist, much less try to compete.
2
Good on the EU.
American regulators and politicians are bought off by Google and others.
It's beyond pathetic.
1
Don't Be Evil.
7
This right here illustrates why companies cannot be trusted:
Kent Walker, senior vice president for global affairs: “Over the next few months, we’ll be making further updates to give more visibility to rivals ___in Europe___.”
So, instead of fixing the "problem" of anticompetitiveness, they just "fix" it in Europe. The takeaway is that "We did nothing wrong and we'll get away with it wherever we can. We are just going to appease you to get you off our back, but we'll be happy to continue to abuse others everywhere that we can get away with it."
So much for Google's motto of corporate conduct: "Don't be evil."
25
@VJR
And who are the "rivals" to Google anyway?! I certainly haven't seen other search engines pulling these shenanigans. DuckDuckGo is my search engine normally, but some companies I notice are now not even bothering with the word "Search" and instead are putting "Google It". That has to stop, unless those companies are knuckling under only because they're getting a piece of the profits that accrue.
3
Not that I think it's pro-Apple or against-Google, but iPhone users are locked in with safari with no other choices of browser either. How come Google get fined for doing that on Android phones, but not Apple? Or, is Apple going to get fined next?
3
@tiddle
That's incorrect; on iphone you can download the Mozilla Foxfire Search app (free) and DuckDuckGo (also free) as well. I've got both of them on my iPhone.
2
@Salvina, You're missing the point. Safari already comes preinstalled on iphones, and it's the browser by default. It's not "just another app."
1
Legalized bribery has made the idea of anti trust obsolete in the US.
4
@MDM
This. Companies just pay the fines...put execs in jail instead.
1
Hey Google,
Remember this? "Don't be evil"
Or you will pay a high price.
Thanks European Union for setting the standard.
5
Perhaps Google should just shut down Europe for a while and see what happens.
4
Yes, yes, your government does nothing to protect your interests but at least you have your circuses - college sports. The NCAA tournament seems to be dominating the US news. Make sure you have made your bracket picks.
2
The media is very excited about the relationship of Fox and Trump, however, it bears repeating the relationship of Obama and Google. Obama met with Google over 400 times and their CEO was in Obama’s cabinet. To me, the failure of Obama to recognize the dangers of Google, and then to cross the line and be their advocate, will be his lasting legacy. It’s the single worst thing he did for the planet. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3554953/Google-staffers-meetings-White-House-staggering-427-times-course-Obama-presidency-averaging-week.html
2
What would Tokyo look like today if they’d only fined Godzilla every time he lashed them with his tail? Tickling trillion dollar Google with a billion dollar feather is also a joke.
2
Competition commissioners in the EU might better serve their people if they pondered whether this sort of regulation is perhaps a reason why Europe had little or no global tech giant worthy of any note (yeah,yeah, we’ve all heard of Spotify).
3
Yeah, because fines work so well with billion dollar corporations. For them, it's an expected business cost, and we all pay for it. Jail is the only way to stop these things from happening. Arrest the rich owners, or this stuff will never stop.
2
These are all good moves; too bad they're so late. But although Google's preferential treatment is pretty invisible unless you're specifically looking for it, facebook is making changes pretty much every day, and each one seems to be improving our privacy. Again, too bad it's so late into it, but most people knew that huge thing called the internet was going to be a convulsive new chapter for us. If they didn't, it's certainly past time to wake up.
4
Then European governments generally try to protect the rights of the people. The American government mostly looks out for the corporations. Take a look at who was favored by the recent Republican tax cuts.
10
I left Facebook a year ago, with no regrets, because I do not want to be manipulated via algorithms and I don't want my data used for nefarious purposes; it turns out that I don't miss it at all and I'm glad to get rid of such a time-waster in my life. I'm considering leaving Google as well, but it's much harder to do so: they've got me hooked. I use Gmail, and people often share Google Docs with me, so it's not as easy to leave. As soon as I figure out where to go (with Facebook I went back to real life, leaving social media behind; I'm not willing to lose my personal email account altogether) I'm ditching Google, too.
I've already started using DuckDuckGo as my search engine. It's a start. And I'm not logged in to my Google account on my phone, either, so they're not tracking my location data etc. I've had enough.
8
Google is this century’s Standard Oil. I’m sure they find these billion dollar fines amusing, just a very minor overhead, a cost of doing business unethically.
Spinning off their search engine to a public or non profit subscription or donation funded utility to end their obvious and irresistible incentives to play dirty: that threat they would take more seriously.
7
If you don't think the EU is anti-American business, you're delusional. Where's the EU outrage against Deutsche Bank, VW, Mercedes, Aldi, et. al.?
Where are the American automobile dealerships in the EU? Appliances?
Google and others might be highly competitive (what was the name of the EU search engine?) but more importantly, they've got deep pockets and the EU has no qualms taking that monopoly money.
10
@RonRich
It's not anti-American. The EU could have allowed the creation of a global rail champion with the merger of Siemens and Alstom.
In the light of competition with Chinese companies, there was plenty to say for it.
But the EU commission refused.
The American government, whether by design or not, prioritizes global scale and domination of US companies over domestic competition concerns.
Unless the US changes policy, there will be many more billions in fines for US companies operating in the EU, which has its own laws it rightfully enforces.
5
@RonRich tesla is an american car, there are many of them in EU. But in general american cars have a bad build quality and consume more fuel. Why choose something bad??
1
@RonRich
Don't throw logic and truth out there ...
I tell ask friends -- give me the names of all the Global companies created in the EU over the past 20 years. They have a problem .... why? ....because most are in the USA.
2
This is sanctimonious hypocrisy from the EU. If it was serious about Google being anti-competitive, it would take other steps (like prohibiting certain takeovers by Google, or Facebook, for that matter).
It looks very much like Ms Vestager sees American tech companies as cash-cows, to be regularly milked.
4
When I google a product I am shortly thereafter deluged with ads about that product. Obviously Google sells information about my inquiry to the manufacturer or sellers of that product. This practice obviously violates my privacy. Google allows me to enter a Do Not Track order but that action is clearly useless. Posts on Google or any other website should be considered privileged instead of being sold to the highest bidder.
9
@Clark Landrum But you're using it for free, so there is a penalty for doing that.
2
@Clark Landrum. If you are dissatisfied with google, use another search engine. Sheesh!
2
@Jackson, I suppose you are correct. No free lunch.
why not report the profit? revenue doesn't means profit right?
This is the third fine against Google in two years by the E.U. Apparently a billion dollar+ fine is chump change to Google. They keep committing antitrust violations in spite of these fines. Something's not working and the billion dollar fines are anything but a deterrent.
37
@Marge Keller That's called the cost of doing business, Marge.
2
@Greg
Absolutely Greg. I wonder how those fines are written off on their taxes. Thanks for your input - much appreciated.
2
@Greg
If those costs were just for "doing business," then there wouldn't be an issue. This is a monopoly and their idea of doing business is cutting every throat on the way to success. This is more the "cost of doing DIRTY business."
2
Just part of doing business. Google will be able to write this off easily. Bad Google, bad American lobbyists from both parties!
5
I hope Facebook is next!
8
Facebook particularly has grown too big for it^'s boots and is too political in it's censorship, banning users, etc.
On the other hand, the EU uses big companies to raise revenues and plug it's funding gap.
Will EU citizens see any of that money since they are the aggrieved ones?
3
@Maurits
Fines aren't compensation for damage. The whole purpose of the fines is to modify corporate behaviour but apparently fines will have to rise to $10 billion or more for that to happen, since Google considers them a cost of doing business at the moment.
"plug its funding gaps"? A billion dollars is chump change in the overall EU budget, and the EU doesn't have "funding gaps". It isn't a sovereign state and issues bonds for other purposes, not to fund its policy objectives.
Why bother commenting you don't have a basic understanding of the issues?
7
@Andy
Maybe, instead of condemning Maurits, you should do what you did and educate the person. I wasn't aware of the information you provided, either. So, thank you for informing me!
Can we rent the EU? Our government is not working.
30
@Keith Dow, Best comment of the week!!!! Thanks for that!
1
Ordinarily, I am in favor of the free market.
But not when it comes to the tech industry. Most of their business models entail monetizing my personal information, in a thoroughly opaque manner, and without my permission.
Web sites that pretend to provide objective information, including travel web sites, bias the information they present to consumers based on hidden fees companies pay them.
Media services, from my television to this newspaper track what I watch or read, and profit from information about my preferences.
Until recently cell phone companies sold detailed, real time, location data to third party companies. Without asking permission from their customers, including myself.
Tesla, and likely other car companies, track where you drive, and phone home with the information.
This is all crying our for regulation, and government imposed transparency. I don't like government regulation, but I have become even more scared of the practices of the tech industry.
The Europeans have the right idea, and we should follow their example. The US needs something similar to the GDPR, and that's only a start.
28
@Alex. How exactly would you like to pay for search, maps, email, all that content from media companies and everything else you get from the internet?
It’s the Attitude that everything should be free of charge that created this business model.
2
I'm so glad is that Google's parent company alphabet's income was reported as part of this article. It allows me to see that this most recent fine is about 1% of alphabet's annual income. and thus it seems that the find resembles that tax perhaps, from alphabets perspective. apologies, however, for criticizing the EU, when they are doing so much better then the pitiful United States.
6
Because I don't live in nor am I citizen of the European Union this does me no good. Moreover, $ 1.7 billion is peanuts for the Google Monster.
When will the Justice Department, FTC and SEC take a meaningful sum from the Google Monster's hide and heart and soul for me and my fellow Americans collective benefit?
8
Do we have different definitions and/or standards of fairness here vs Europe? I would like to see our government holding the company accountable too.
9
Good Job, EU - especially Margrethe Vestager, Europe’s top antitrust watchdog!
"The fine, worth about $1.7 billion, is the third against Google by the European Union since 2017, reinforcing the region’s position as the world’s most aggressive watchdog of an industry with an increasingly powerful role in society and the global economy."
Get this, "A Google executive responded by saying that “healthy, thriving markets are in everyone’s interest.”
Yes, sir or madam, they are and YOU and your BIG tech buddies are stomping on healthy, thriving competion - and invading OUR privacy - every day.
You mantra was once "do no evil". You really missed the mark on that one.
Go Get 'Em, Senator Elizabeth Warren. Untaxed, unregulated BIG tech and capitalism are destroying the lives of 99.9% of us and it must end now.
15
All that has to happen is for google, youtube, facebook, twitter and others to be considered "publishing" and not "applications." They then would, like the rest of the world, need to ask permission to use content and would be held to task for their content appropriation and piracy. The internet would come to a screeching halt save for existing publishers... such as the NYT.
11
When I googled "Google fine"- news was accurate. At least that algorithm worked.
7
Watch and learn U.S. If Huawei were doing anything wrong, this is what you do. But because they aren't, you've resulted to cowboy gangster tactics to gain a competitive advantage. Shame.
4
@Rusty
Huawei has been stealing our tech for quite some time. That's okay with you?
For every service that google offers there's at least one alternative out there. I recently switched from Chrome to Edge and frankly don't even notice the difference. Buy an iPhone or whatever if you don't like Android. I could go on and on. There's nothing particularly better about the google services than other competitors. What's actually going on is that there are specific situations where google may have monopoly power. OK then don't fine them, force them to change policies.
Hate speech on the internet is another bogus problem invented by the snowflake generation. The way to cope with bad / stupid / hateful ideas is to expose them to all of us. Then we can both make fun of them and refute them. Keeping them in the shadows of the darker areas of the web will do nothing to stop their spread. Censorship just makes them more appealing.
7
@Ross Salinger
Do you know if they use google as a primary search engine and piggyback off of it?
2
@Ross Salinger - But an iPhone? You think Apple is any better?
8
@m2004rm Bing is the primary search engine associated with Edge. You can always switch it to something else if you'd like, too. Yahoo and a couple other are all part of the Bing search network (Microsoft) as well.
If you want something that's completely detached, try DuckDuckGo. There is one caveat, however. Its search is private and doesn't collect any information from your activity (like Google does), but its advertising network is still part of Bing. Not an inherently bad thing, just a note.
4
Good news, and we must follow suit. Every one of the tech companies and the cable companies needs serious regulation and oversight.
8
$8B in fines in the last 2 years--Google can find that by looking under the couch cushions. They need to increase the penalty by an order of magnitude to get Google's attention.
33
@MikeG
I agree. I only wish I had their couch and cushions.
3
So Europe globally has become well respected not by being creative but by being a watchdog criticizing new ideas.
2
@rudolf Europe has much better personal privacy laws than those here in the states. Everytime you visit a google product, they are tracking you. They know everthing about you, down to the socks you wear.
4
@rudolf I think you missed the reason for this fine; the fact that GOOGLE is the "watchdog" you accused EU to be.
1
@Betsy Ross nobody is forcing you to use google. Apparently you know they are using your personal information, yet you still use it
Carnac the Magnificent divines: "Campaign Finance." Opening the envelope, it reads "Why is the U.S. unable to regulate their own corporations?"
11
"Europe’s regulatory approach was once criticized as unfairly targeting technology companies from the United States" Seeing that so many of these companies google included make their products in China and use European tax haven to hide their profits I'm not so sure how "american" these companies are.
8
"Another proposal attempts to block the sharing of hate speech and extremist content, a policy that some critics say could lead to censorship." Yes, precisely, that's exactly the point: to censor hate speech and extremist. Social media has been a horribly efficient propagator of hate speech (and fake news and other means of manipulation) including for terrorist outfits who used Facebook as a recruiting tool. We are reaping the "rewards" of this everyday. The time has come to rein this in as the social media outfits in question have been dragging their feet about it.
5
It is good to note that Commissioner Vestager has finally broadened her focus beyond tech giants, thus muting a bit the criticism that her actions are purely anti-American. For example, the EU is finally investigating the anti-competitive practices of the German auto cartel (VW-Porsche-Audi-Daimler-BMW) and its nefarious role in suppressing emissions standards.
12
@Tom No, this is not new, Tom. The EU has pursued European corporations for decades now. It's just that American readers never get to hear about it.
So Google's corporate code of conduct was "Don't be evil", and now their motto must be "Do all evil that is cost effective," which this certainly has been. $1.7 billion is a drop in the bucket when they have a yearly corporate revenue of $110 billion and is little incentive to change their conduct. Plus, this was just what they got caught doing, and who knows what evil they have done that still hasn't surfaced or isn't prosecutable. Still, the EU is doing more to change Google's behavior than is the US.
17
I applaud the EU for standing up to Google. For businesses, they have crippled and destroyed many. The average business owner has no way to understand or work with the algorithms that Google employs. Google does not work to keep the internet fair for all - they work to make money for Google. That is quite evident to all businesses that struggle everyday for rankings on Google.
You want to rank on Google? You PAY dearly to be on the 1st - 3rd page. Businesses that pay Google rank high on Google's search engine. You don't pay, you end up in no man's land.
It's time the US clamps down on Google. I'm with Elizabeth Warren in the Google needs to be broken up. They're too, powerful and their dominance only breeds corruption and misuse of that power.
Why isn't the US taking Google to bat? It's time all Google's political donations are exposed. I'm sure many politicians are bought and paid for by Google. Who are they?
Again - hats off to the EU for going what the US has failed miserably at. Keeping Google accountable.
24
@Valerie I agree that google needs further regulation or to be broken into pieces entirely. However, as a matter of factual accuracy, it should be noted that all results not marked as advertisements (i.e. below the top ad box) are organically chosen to be the most relevant and not affected by payments at all.
I entirely agree as well that all companies should be forced to publicly disclose lobbying and political spending, it is frankly criminal what they have done to our system of government.
Small minded petty European bureaucrats. Let's "tax" success especially if it's American.
3
Thank you EU for not backing down and taming the modern day Microsoft!
14
Google and parent company Alphabet had already anticipated these foreign 'hostile behaviors' in their operating costs. In America, the 'rule of law' protects the corporate welfare bullies.
In my opinion, Alphabet, Google and all social media represents a far more sinister threat on open societies, than radical extremism.
10
Google is not some disembodied ethereal entity. Google is people, white males mostly. And some of them need to go to jail. Jail time, not monetary penalties, is the only way to change corporate 'to-big-to-fail' behavior.
14
@Cody McCall So only "white Males" can be evil, this kind of thinking is another reason why we have Trump.
Nope! Lots of women at Google. True, there are significantly more male engineers than female but that is because universities just aren't graduating cs students in equal numbers.
As to your claim of mostly white, wrong again. A huge percentage of engineers are non-white (mostly south- or east-asian decent/origin).
3
Don't like it? Don't use Google.
Whatever you do ... please do not use Google and then complain it cannot be fairly used as made. Annoying.
10
@kz
Sure, we can all stop using Google's search engine if we don't like it. We can also give up phones if we don't like how smartphone apps manipulate us, medicines if we don't like the health care industry and Big Pharma, driving and flying if we have concerns about climate change, using credit cards or having a bank account if we're upset with banking regulations, voting if we dislike political discourse, and so on.
Unfortunately, we all rely on the internet, and Google's search engine is, in fact, a monopoly, just as Standard Oil was a monopoly back in another era. We all live in the 21st century, and simply not using Google is impossible for most people. As H.L. Menken said, "For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong."
12
@kz I think the problem is that a few tech companies like Google are monopolies.
3
The price of doing business in Europe. Just be glad you don't have to live there.
4
@P&L Wait, Cap Ferrat, that must be some obscure city in a remote U.S.state?
The USA is losing its hard-won prestige throughout the world.
Countries used to look up to us for our leadership. I believe some smart scholars called this "soft power."
Big hit to our soft power with this cut-throat corporate behavior, the FAA's disgraceful delay in grounding Boeing planes, our President's everyday flouting of the rules of civilized discourse. etc, etc etc.
8
@Anne...... "FAA's disgraceful delay in grounding Boeing planes"......Or was it just the EU eager to promote AirBus?
Are these fines a sort of revolution, or just gradual reform, so these giants in technology and industry, by and large offering great service we have taken for granted (as they make our life more atuned to the deep and fast changes we humans have some difficulty in keeping up with), may be ethical as well, and allow a healthy competition to take place? It has been proposed to break these bememoths down to size, but economies of scale may be lost in the process. I know it was done with AT&T, among others; but still, the need of sensible regulation and public supervision must be part of it. Can't we get along, try solidarity for a change?
This made my day. Very happy to see the EU force competition and force tech companies to make changes.
5
ok. so what does the EU do with 2billion? This changes Google behavior how? The problem is manipulation. I fail to see how this prevents Google from proceeding their agenda. Overtime, Google has essentially gained control of our access to information because the first page or even the first link now is equivalent to fact. This fine does nothing to change Google’s interpretations of existence.
2
@Pilot
Maybe a temporary ban would have more impact. It would have a nice side effect: people could start looking for alternatives and challenge Google's monopoly.
Regulation sure does seem better in the EU.
Elsewhere, someone commented that they would not consider flying a 737 Max 8 or 9 before the EU approves it for flying, should that happen.
2
@Technic Ally...."Regulation sure does seem better in the EU.".....Especially when it comes to promoting EU interests by regulating American companies.
@W.A. Spitzer Open any European website and you'll see a disclaimer about Cookies. What they are, how they work along with an option for you to go ahead and accept them or not. Ask your average US Internet user if they'd seen something like that.
Another example, no pun intended: Google Classrooms is widely used in US elementary schools. It cannot be used in Europe because of minor privacy laws.
In the US the people's rights end when a company's chance to make money begins.
3
@W.A. Spitzer
Nobody forces Google to do business in the EU.
EU market, EU rules. That includes competition law.
Deutsche Bank agreed to a $7.2bn payment to US authorities over an investigation into mortgage-backed securities at the end of 2016. Same thing.
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Take note that under Elizabeth Warren's wealth tax plan, the two founders of Google would be paying over $1 billion annually....each.
So this seems like a bit of a slap on the wrist.
3
The US takes a similar hands-off approach to health care. How we doing with that?
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Unfortunately, there's no reason to think that Google or other large tech companies will do more than make cosmetic changes. We can hope that the EU is in this for the long haul, because that's what it will take. But, yes, what about the US? As for breaking up the large tech companies, of course that needs to be done, but in fact, if we're to have anything even remotely like free markets (which don't exist at present), we need to break up large, oligopolistic companies in all areas. For that effort to be effective, we're going to need a great deal of international cooperation, which in turn will depend on a different spirit in a number of countries from what exists right now.
I'd also like to see some laws where Google, Amazon, and Facebook-- to name a few-- lose their right to farm out our personal information. Additionally, I'd like to know how, almost instantaneously, I'll receive an advertisement for something I mentioned but never searched for. Too much power in the hands of too few; it's like a dystopian novel.
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@Mickey
Big Google or Amazon or Apple is listening.
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@Mickey...How much do you pay for using Google and Facebook? Nobody is forcing you to use them.
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So Google reformed its search bar practice in 2016 and in 2019 EU imposes a fine.
This one, like the others, will be appealed for the foreseable future.
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And this is why the EU is so maligned by the big guys or oligarchs who want monopolies, and total control over the media and resources, such as the Murdoch’s and or Putin’s of the world l, etc...Murdoch has been anti EU for decades because he can’t get away with the stuff his FOX network gets away with here in the USA.
These guys helped push through Brexit and the UK and the world will suffer enormously because of it.
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Some privacy guidelines are required but I'm reminded of the old axiom, if you can't innovate, regulate (especially if you need the revenue).
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@mike witkowski These companies are stifling innovation. They have also become too big to fail. They need to be broken up.
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These tech giants make the old AT&T monopoly look like child's play. It is long past time to break them up so we have true competition.
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The companies didn't have to use the search bar! When you sell something, you have the right to put pretty much anything you want in the contract. If the prospective buyer doesn't like your terms, he can walk away. Good grief. People can make other search bars/engines. There is no actual monopoly here, anymore than there is when a very popular author outsells all competitors. You cannot monopolize an idea, and outselling others is not a monopoly. It's called making a better product. OMG.
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Huh... wonder if this had anything to do with May's Bexit push? Did Google--and perhaps other outfits suffering from penalties for bad behavior--grease her palms to help it escape EU oversight?
Glad to see Europe's leadership in keeping corporate greed/power in check. Meanwhile, in America, trump just killed HIS country's consumer protection commission put in place after the banks nearly tanked the world's economy.
American exceptionalism, American leadership or even values; we're letting other nations take the lead in everything good, while we're encouraged to applaud Putin. trump even cancelled joint military excercises with our allies! Weaker, subject to the whims of a greedy liar, whose ear is attuned to Mr. Miller's fascist whispers...sad.
Thank you EU!
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Excellent news !
The Europeans lead the way once again on human decency and sensible regulation as the United States of Unfettered Corporate Greed continues to slide into a right-wing cesspool of avarice devoid of all ethics.
Now go fine Facebook and clueless Mark Zuckerberg for their unsavory, parasitic, privacy-organ- harvesting violations of the law.
We have met the enemy, and they are Robber Baron tech sociopaths.
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@Socrates
Greed, the root of evil, is certainly the biggest problem facing humanity.
Our “representatives” have embraced it as our god at the country’s peril.
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@Socrates
I have never had any connection with Facebook as I could not see any value in it. Several persons I know use Facebook so I am fairly sure they have information on me. It is known that Facebook has information on nonusers as many reports have shown. Information has value as Facebook's profits show. So stealing information on people is just as bad as stealing their wallets. Stealing is a crime so Facebook executives should be in jail.
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How is this hyperbole and get out the torches type of language any less harmful than when you hear it from right wing zealots?
We need to be taking measured steps along the pass to progress.
Does our less restricted economy come with downsides? Yes. Does it also come with many benefits for country overall? Yes. There is nuance between all the black and white rhetoric on both sides, and it’s important to be measured in our words to get it right if we truly want to make the country a better place.
Somebody’s got to do it. And it sure ain’t us.
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@db2
Sadly, we cannot have Nice Things here. They never tell us 'why,' but they're pretty Certain they're Correct. And if anyone would 'know,' THEY would.
Way To GO, Olde Europe!
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@db2
Meh, the European are more than happy to find new and creative ways to find American companies. It helps finance their socialism.
@James
Europe's socialism is Great for teaching their Citizens reading/writing skills.
Unlike here.
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Let's fact it. At the end of the day, most retail marketing executives would sell their souls to get competitive advantages to grow market-share.
Here's a specific challenge for anyone who purchased products on the internet. Think of a product that you're interested in purchasing. Be specific as to manufacturer, product and size. What invariable comes up is everything but the kitchen sink. More often or not, your product is far down on the list.
Same for movies. Want to search for a specific genre, award winners and/or actor? Good luck. It's as if they want to shove something down your throat.
Originators of these internet sites claim the the consumer is first. It's like politicians who believe that America comes first . . . ahead of getting reelected.
Eventually, these companies are becoming extremely vulnerable because most consumers wanted to be treated with respect. Most consumers whom I speak with are just waiting to switch for more consumer oriented services.
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Google, engaging in unfair competition...NO..that can't be...let me do a Google search of other search engines---
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I’m glad to see there’s a governing body taking initiative to reining in these companies. My only worry is that if something more drastic like breaking up the companies isn’t taken, we’ll just be playing whack-a-mole with them. They are masters at iterating quickly on a global scale and coming up with new antitrust behaviors before any of us even understand that’s what they are.
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While the United States remains mired in the reality show / soap opera that is the Trump administration, the European Union moves forward to address pressing antitrust and privacy violations by Big Tech. In addition to fining Google, Europe also passed the GDPR, whereby consumers have far greater control over their private information and how it is used. This is an excellent law, and model for us to follow.
But such fines and regulations are unlikely to happen here soon. Why? Because of our campaign finance laws and the influence of money on politics, as well as Republicans's congenital aversion to any kind of business regulation. And many Americans unfortunately also believe that any good idea from another country is somehow "un-American."
While the United States faces immediate crises with climate change, health care costs and Big Pharma, Big Tech monopolies and privacy issues, cyberwarfare and disinformation, sensible immigration reform, and more, President Trump presses for a border wall and more Abrams tanks. Kudos to the European Union for tackling actual problems.
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Google and Facebook are effective monopolies, with control over vast swaths of our communications and advertising sectors.
In any previous era, they would be regulated as such or broken up. Because we currently have the thoroughly corrupt GOP preventing our government from functioning, this isn’t happening in the U.S. We should be grateful that Europe at least is still paying attention.
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@David Psst, stop using Facebook and Google, if you don't like them. I did. The personal toll on myself, my family, and my work because I stopped using Facebook has been... zero.
@David...."Google and Facebook are effective monopolies, with control over vast swaths of our communications and advertising sectors."....You don't pay anything for using Google or Facebook and you don't have to use them if you don't want to. Where is the monopoly?
1
Many in the US will of course see this as an ad hoc tax on American big tech.
That’s because we have forgotten what effective regulation looks like.
Deregulation has done a lot of damage, from energy companies “storing” nuclear waste and coal ash pools in unsafe ways next to their plants for future socialization, Boeing’s self certification, banks privatizing profits and socializing risks, to tech company dominance and abuse of power.
It’s time to go back to basics.
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This is about money. The EU wants some of Google's money, so it's using fines. The 5 billion fine was because Google gives away the Android for free, but in order to use Google Play, phone manufacturers are required to package products like Gmail. So, meanwhile, Apple does not give away their OS, and packages their own apps, but does not get a fine.
I use Android. I put the Firefox web browser on my phone because they allow extensions and add-ons like Ad-blockers. I never use Google's Chrome. I never use Gmail. I use ProtonMail. Android allows you to uninstall, or suspend pre-installed apps. You can use the DuckDuckGo search engine, like I do. I use Google's search engine, Android, and other Google products to best serve my needs, while limiting its advertising (ad-blockers).
Android is about user choice. Apple's iOS is not, but Google get's fined. Privacy add-ons limit Google's reach - which I use. In the end the consumer will loose with the EU's money grab.
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@Eaton Dolittle, No, this is about unfair business practices: Google taking advantage of its monopoly power to disadvantage competitors. That is bad for consumers and bad for fair market competition. If the EU just wanted money from Google all they could tax it (more).
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@Eaton Dolittle Google bought Android that was developed with open source software. They are now adding Google proprietary software. That doesn’t sound like user choice.
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@Eaton Dolittle Yup, your individual experience with Google is more valid than the results of a European Regulatory Commission. I totally accept that argument.
1
They are a monopoly. What is so hard to understand about this? I think a step further, like breaking the company into divisions (ala AT&T in the early 1980's) would be of enormous help for more competition. Now, there is very little, at best.
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@Benjamin Russo I don't know about that. I was there when Ma bell was broken up and I didn't notice any difference in the service. I just had lower phone bills, especially long distance phone calls.
2
@Easy Goer..."They are a monopoly. What is so hard to understand about this?".....Google and Facebook do not charge you anything for their services, and neither is essential. So if it is so easy to understand how they are monopoly, why don't you try to explain it to us?
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@W.A. Spitzer
Say what you will, Google and Facebook are monopolies which use their control to stifle competition. It is not my fault if you insist on wearing blinders.
The EU is the hero we need, but not the hero we deserve.
Thank you for having teeth, if still not even a tenth enough ("Alphabet’s revenue last year was $137 billion"). Fines for such blatant antitrust violations need to be AT least that, and repeated such violations that involve software must force them to free its source code so that at least people can see just how the monopoly hurts them: three strikes, and your code is out under the GPL or BSD.
That'll teach them to toe the creepy line.
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@SR Lol, so essentially what you are saying is that it is fine to have a dictatorship applied to companies, but you yourself rather want to live in a democracy?
I agree that Google & consorts need to be broken up and regulated, they still have the right to be treated somewhat like individual property. Just because they have gotten too large (which isn't even their fault but rather that the government didn't act sooner), you can't just come and say "Hey, you are too large, we will take everything away from you now". It's a slim line between regulatory oversight and just plain dictatorship. The latter will stifle innovation and prevent new Googles to form in the next century.
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@Maria Weber
Actually what I read in SR's remark is that as a penalty for a repeated anti-trust violation, Google would lose the right to keep its proprietary information a secret. 3 strikes, your out! I like the idea. A corporation in the USA must serve a public interest and if it doesn't then it theoretically should lose its corporate status; SR proposes an alternative penalty particular to the violation.
More importantly, Google is functionally a dictatorship of sorts, and anti-democratic around search engine use. And now they are agreeing to be the Chinese Communist Party's water boy around making it easy to collect info on searches, as is Facebook looking to make inroads to China.
4