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An unwanted update to your Google Account

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Re: An unwanted update to your Google Account

#161

Post by Rapzid »

This sorta crazy. If I were visiting China for a bit I wouldn't expect to get a notice from my bank or Google that they have transferred my accounts to a subsidiary subject to CCP control. Next thing you know your blocked from leaving the country.

I'm curious to a few things that are absent from the post but a lot of people in here are talking like they know the answers to:

A. How long this person was in Malaysia

B. What local laws they may have been in breach of or in jeopardy of breaching(or Google)

C. What specific local rules/laws Google was attempting to comply with in good faith(if any)

It's amazing how many people are jumping all over the OPs case like they have this information. If this were a bank account and/or China I don't think everybody would be giving the company the benefit of the doubt and casting shade on the OP for raising concerns...

Re: An unwanted update to your Google Account

#162

Post by anonu »

Rapzid wrote: post #161

This sorta crazy. If I were visiting China for a bit I wouldn't expect to get a notice from my bank or Google that they have transferred my accounts to a subsidiary subject to CCP control. Next thing you know your blocked from leaving the country. I'm curious to a few things that are absent from the post but a lot of people in here are talking like they know the answers to: A. How long this person was in Malaysia B.…

Any international bank that wants regular access to US dollars needs to play nice with the US Treasury. This means if you're a US Bank account holder and live abroad, they want to know. Similarly if you're a US citizen with a foreign bank account, they want to know.

Not as onerous as transferring a bank account to another entity, but the oversight is pretty extensive nonetheless.

Re: An unwanted update to your Google Account

#163

Post by southerntofu »

remus wrote: post #147
dredmorbius wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google wishes to enjoy the investment, employment, legal, and cultural benefits of being physically located in the United States for its key operations, but wishes to associate itself with Ireland, the Netherlands, and Bermuda for tax purposes. Why shouldn't its users seek similar geographic arbitrage?

Because Google has to satisfy the legal requirements of the country the user is actually in.

No, they only have to satisfy the legal requirements of countries where they have established organizations. That's why GDPR was a game-changer: it made Europe-wide strong privacy regulations that were previously local to a few countries. France's CNIL has always been a farce, but at least on paper provided privacy rights... that Google was free to ignore because it was based in Ireland & such.

Of course as an Internet service you don't have to comply with every single national law there is. Would that even be possible? Of course, if a nation State believes you don't respect their laws, they are "free" to try and censor your website, as many do with The Pirate Bay, Sci Hub, etc.

Re: An unwanted update to your Google Account

#164

Post by croes »

seoaeu wrote: post #127
croes wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How but just asking your customer instead of guessing by unreliable factors?

Is there any reason to believe that asking would be remotely reliable? There's a reason that liquor stores don't just ask people whether they're over 21.

Does the liquor store estimate your age or do they ask for your id? Google should ask and then could demand proof.

Re: An unwanted update to your Google Account

#165

Post by croes »

compiler-guy wrote: post #118
croes wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How but just asking your customer instead of guessing by unreliable factors?

If they had asked the OP, he would have told them Germany, not Thailand, so they likely would not be in compliance with the law.

They could demand proof of residency, that's the correct way.

Re: An unwanted update to your Google Account

#166

Post by croes »

ac29 wrote: post #109
croes wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And how does google satisfy a countries laws if they associate a customer with the wrong country?

In this article, Google wasn't incorrect though - this person just wanted the rules for a country they werent in to apply instead of local rules. Google made a good faith attempt to comply with local rules for this customer based on the (correct) location data they had.

I still wonder if they changed the currency and the prices in the store accordingly or if he still had to pay european prices.

Re: An unwanted update to your Google Account

#168

Post by chki »

southerntofu wrote: post #163
remus wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because Google has to satisfy the legal requirements of the country the user is actually in.

No, they only have to satisfy the legal requirements of countries where they have established organizations. That's why GDPR was a game-changer: it made Europe-wide strong privacy regulations that were previously local to a few countries. France's CNIL has always been a farce, but at least on paper provided privacy rights... that Google was free to ignore because it was based in Ireland & such. Of course as an Intern…

> No, they only have to satisfy the legal requirements of countries where they have established organizations.

Which for Google and other companies means basically most countries, right? For example they have an office in Malaysia (https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.businessinsider.com/googles...).

If you have an office, the state will be able to seize your assets, or potentially jail your executives. This is not like Pirate Bay or Sci Hub.

Re: An unwanted update to your Google Account

#169

Post by dredmorbius »

chki wrote: post #168
southerntofu wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, they only have to satisfy the legal requirements of countries where they have established organizations. That's why GDPR was a game-changer: it made Europe-wide strong privacy regulations that were previously local to a few countries. France's CNIL has always been a farce, but at least on paper provided privacy rights... that Google was free to ignore because it was based in Ireland & such. Of course as an Intern…

> No, they only have to satisfy the legal requirements of countries where they have established organizations. Which for Google and other companies means basically most countries, right? For example they have an office in Malaysia ( https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.businessinsider.com/googles... ). If you have an office, the state will be able to seize your assets, or potentially jail your executives. This is not lik…

The strategic significance of a given office may be small, and may well be larger to the country in which it exists than to the firm it represents.

I suspect Google would be more aggreived concerning actions taken against 1600 Ampetheater Parkway, or one of it major datacentres, than against a one-person sales front operating from a bedroom in a remote location. It might well seek to safely extract its personnel, but would have little concern with the facilities or operations it represents themselves.

Re: An unwanted update to your Google Account

#170

Post by koheripbal »

dredmorbius wrote: post #141
Jaygles wrote: post #2

I understand the author's frustration. But until someone finds out how a company that operates globally can satisfy the laws of the countries their customers are located in without associating the accounts with a country, I'm not sure what we can do. > What I find curious is that it says the services are essentially the same between different countries. So, there is no advantage to me as a consumer for anything to ch…

Google wishes to enjoy the investment, employment, legal, and cultural benefits of being physically located in the United States for its key operations, but wishes to associate itself with Ireland, the Netherlands, and Bermuda for tax purposes. Why shouldn't its users seek similar geographic arbitrage?

Google's "key operations" are not solely in the United States. They have "key operations" all over the world.

They are in a very real sense a multi-national - and not just for tax purposes.

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