Justice Department, states likely to bring antitrust lawsuits against Google • Hacker News Board

Re: Justice Department, states likely to bring antitrust lawsuits against Google

#31

Post by CamperBob2 » Fri, May 15, 2020, 9:20 PM UTC

ghastmaster wrote: post #9

diogenescynic wrote: post #6

I really hope they start splitting tech giants up. It would be a boom for the economy, jobs, and create much needed competition.

> It would be a boom for the economy Why? Are they inefficient? Have their resources been mis-allocated? > jobs For the sake of jobs? That pay more or less? > create much needed competition Are they charging too much?

It's dangerous for us all to be so dependent on a few companies. I doubt that's what motivates the DoJ in this case, but right now, if you have a problem with Google, you have to post a cri de coeur on Twitter or Hacker News and hope it embarrasses somebody at Google enough to take action on your behalf.

More competitors in the advertising and search space would certainly help, or at least keep the situation from getting worse.

As for Amazon, the antitrust enforcers should have come down on them like a ton of bricks the moment it appeared that they were leveraging internal business intelligence to compete with their own sellers. I use Amazon constantly, I have an enormous amount of respect for them, and I value their services a great deal, but come on. There's no point in even having antitrust laws if they don't apply in this instance.

Re: Justice Department, states likely to bring antitrust lawsuits against Google

#32

Post by bdhe » Fri, May 15, 2020, 9:21 PM UTC

glenstein wrote: post #16

I don't have a problem with this. But I wonder why there isn't similar willpower to pursue, say, telecoms, banks, Monsanto, Luxxotica, Disney, and the like. Why is it just big tech?

Sadly a plausible answer is the political climate we live in. As well as Barr's modus operandi around wielding power for the sake of politics.

Re: Justice Department, states likely to bring antitrust lawsuits against Google

#33

Post by Wowfunhappy » Fri, May 15, 2020, 9:21 PM UTC

akersten wrote: post #23

I will continue to believe that this is another tentacle of William Barr's political harassment of Google and tech in general until he leads the same crusade against other 'monopolies' of the same degree like Comcast, Apple, Boeing, Amazon, United Airlines, etc.

Even if it is, it could set a precedent that makes it easier for a future, less corrupt administration.

I don't know if the good necessarily outweighs the bad, but maybe it does.

Re: Justice Department, states likely to bring antitrust lawsuits against Google

#34

Post by xoxoy » Fri, May 15, 2020, 9:21 PM UTC

glenstein wrote: post #16

I don't have a problem with this. But I wonder why there isn't similar willpower to pursue, say, telecoms, banks, Monsanto, Luxxotica, Disney, and the like. Why is it just big tech?

how is banking a monopoly?

or Disney?

Re: Justice Department, states likely to bring antitrust lawsuits against Google

#35

Post by nojito » Fri, May 15, 2020, 9:21 PM UTC

pge wrote: post #20

This is interesting because it seems like the DOJ's definition of monopoly is changing, which I think is a good thing. Since the late 80s (roughly), antitrust litigation has only been brought on the basis of a monopoly's negative impact on consumer prices (i.e. does the existence of a monopoly cause the consumer to have to pay higher prices?). That ignores monopolies that impair the ability of smaller companies to en…

Barriers of Entry are not related to antitrust.

Can you share some instances of this being true in the 80s?

Re: Justice Department, states likely to bring antitrust lawsuits against Google

#36

Post by iateanapple » Fri, May 15, 2020, 9:22 PM UTC

akersten wrote: post #23

I will continue to believe that this is another tentacle of William Barr's political harassment of Google and tech in general until he leads the same crusade against other 'monopolies' of the same degree like Comcast, Apple, Boeing, Amazon, United Airlines, etc.

Are any of those companies (except Amazon) even in the same league in terms of negative impact as big tech?

Re: Justice Department, states likely to bring antitrust lawsuits against Google

#37

Post by CaveTech » Fri, May 15, 2020, 9:22 PM UTC

leoh wrote: post #26

glenstein wrote: post #16

I don't have a problem with this. But I wonder why there isn't similar willpower to pursue, say, telecoms, banks, Monsanto, Luxxotica, Disney, and the like. Why is it just big tech?

Telecom, etc. are far, far more harmful IMHO

They're also currently much better regulated

Re: Justice Department, states likely to bring antitrust lawsuits against Google

#38

Post by jaydz » Fri, May 15, 2020, 9:22 PM UTC

akersten wrote: post #19

aspenmayer wrote: post #2

'Both the Justice Department and a group of state attorneys general are likely to file antitrust lawsuits against Alphabet Inc.’s Google—and are well into planning for litigation, according to people familiar with the matter. 'The Justice Department is moving toward bringing a case as soon as this summer, some of the people said. At least some state attorneys general—led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republ…

> 'Details about the Justice Department’s legal theories for a case against Google couldn’t be learned.' That's what it seems like to me too. I understand a popular opinion is that Google is too big, should be broken up, etc. But I really don't think there's a prevailing justification. Or examples of competition that they've supposedly stifled? This stinks of politics. > The company owns the dominant tool at every li…

No laws are being violated, Google will pay a fine and make some small changes. The last thing the DOJ wants is an embarrassing defeat in court.

Re: Justice Department, states likely to bring antitrust lawsuits against Google

#39

Post by nojito » Fri, May 15, 2020, 9:23 PM UTC

noad wrote: post #3

Amazon and Facebook should be next. Break them all up with extreme prejudice and put strict new anti-trust laws around acquisitions in place for the future. We're going to do this and open technology back up to innovation and progress, or just watch the tech giants continue to grow in power and abusiveness year after year while new startups continue to decline.

How so?

Google is infinitely worse than Amazon and Facebook put together.

They just so happen to be an advertising company so they internet doesn't know about it yet.

Re: Justice Department, states likely to bring antitrust lawsuits against Google

#40

Post by pb7 » Fri, May 15, 2020, 9:23 PM UTC

glenstein wrote: post #16

I don't have a problem with this. But I wonder why there isn't similar willpower to pursue, say, telecoms, banks, Monsanto, Luxxotica, Disney, and the like. Why is it just big tech?

What, you mean go after their friends? Are you crazy?

It’s complete nonsense. Telecoms have been fucking people over for decades and yet we still see mergers resulting in 3 providers going to 2 despite it being downright impossible to start a new one (see: Google Fiber), that is if you’re even lucky enough to have more than one in your region.