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EU suggests breaking up Google's ad business in preliminary antitrust ruling

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Re: EU suggests breaking up Google's ad business in preliminary antitrust ruling

#101
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A better argument is simply that the US routinely (and selectively) enforces its rules well beyond its borders. So why shouldn't anyone else with the clout needed...

Can't wait for the chinese or indian SEC to start suing US nationals for different exotic financial wrongdoings on some half hidden rule

You've slipped down quite the slope to go from antitrust of companies operating in the jurisdiction to foreign natural persons.

Re: EU suggests breaking up Google's ad business in preliminary antitrust ruling

#102
post #21

>EU is “concerned that Google has made it harder for rival online advertising services to compete in the so-called ad tech stack.” There are plenty of competitors in the ad tech space. China created TikTok. Korea created KaoKaoTalk. Even Japan created Line. Meanwhile, the EU, for all it's antitrust regulation, hasn't created anything substantial. Perhaps, it's the burdensome regulation that's the problem.

Yes, and that's great. They don't want surveillance Capitalism.

99% of the people don't care. That's why there are 2.1 billion people on Facebook.

Without surveillance capitalism, prices for services would go up or would cease to be free.

The ad-driven business model is a legitimate one.

I assume that you use a free service from Google/Facebook/Microsoft? So you must not care about surveillance capitalism either. At least not care enough.

Re: EU suggests breaking up Google's ad business in preliminary antitrust ruling

#103
post #2

Before anyone makes the argument that the EU should have no jurisdiction over an American entity, please remember that Google sells its services in Europe. It's well within the jurisdiction of the EU to regulate how anyone does business here. Google Ireland alone had a 50B euro turnover. The breaking up of monopolies used to be in the toolbox of American antitrust policies, back when America enforced antitrust legisl…

There are real questions about how much authority the EU has over an American entity. Can the EU only regulate activities in the EU or does it have global jurisdiction?

On one hand, if Google simply restructured, spun off or sold its EU ad business the competitive landscape wouldn't change that much. I'm not sure whether a new European competitor could ever become a peer to Google if it could only compete in the EU market because of the network effects in the ad business.

Alternatively, the EU having global jurisdiction would have even bigger issue. With that precedent, could Japan or Australia regulate European businesses? Also how would the EU enforce rules outside of its geography? How complaint would the US court system be in enforcing European decisions?

Re: EU suggests breaking up Google's ad business in preliminary antitrust ruling

#104
post #21

>EU is “concerned that Google has made it harder for rival online advertising services to compete in the so-called ad tech stack.” There are plenty of competitors in the ad tech space. China created TikTok. Korea created KaoKaoTalk. Even Japan created Line. Meanwhile, the EU, for all it's antitrust regulation, hasn't created anything substantial. Perhaps, it's the burdensome regulation that's the problem.

Well said. Europe creates a high amount of regulation. The startup industry gets completely stifled and unable to compete with US nor China. So all they do now is add more regulation.

profit is the most important thing in history ?

Re: EU suggests breaking up Google's ad business in preliminary antitrust ruling

#106

break every company up! Each "bet" in Alphabet needs to be broken. Each business unit within Google needs to be broken. Same with Apple. Break that up to between services and hardware. Force them to open up their new silicon. Why can't other companies use the H1 or H2 chips for their headphones? why are we letting Apple have the competitive advantage? Open up the App Store and force new payment methods. Microsoft als…

Break them up. Give them to the poor.

/sarcasm

Re: EU suggests breaking up Google's ad business in preliminary antitrust ruling

#107

break every company up! Each "bet" in Alphabet needs to be broken. Each business unit within Google needs to be broken. Same with Apple. Break that up to between services and hardware. Force them to open up their new silicon. Why can't other companies use the H1 or H2 chips for their headphones? why are we letting Apple have the competitive advantage? Open up the App Store and force new payment methods. Microsoft als…

Imprison everyone while we're at it! No freedoms for anyone!

Re: EU suggests breaking up Google's ad business in preliminary antitrust ruling

#108

And microsoft is walking scot free. They can happily control operating systems, office tools, a slice of search, ides, ads within their os, are allowed to buy large game makers and soon ai. As a bare minimum they should be forced greater compatibility with running their software on linux and ideally be banned from doing ads, ai and gamedev.

The EU has targeted Microsoft more than once. For example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Corp._v._Commission

Re: EU suggests breaking up Google's ad business in preliminary antitrust ruling

#109

And microsoft is walking scot free. They can happily control operating systems, office tools, a slice of search, ides, ads within their os, are allowed to buy large game makers and soon ai. As a bare minimum they should be forced greater compatibility with running their software on linux and ideally be banned from doing ads, ai and gamedev.

Microsoft gets a free pass because they're a 1-stop shop for governments and companies running offices. A walled garden is useful when non-technical people have to keep information somewhat securely.

Google's search and ad dominance on the other hand are less convenient for governments.

Re: EU suggests breaking up Google's ad business in preliminary antitrust ruling

#110

Google will rather split up the internet by pulling out of Europe than follow this. And isn't ads the only profitable business Google has? If they sell it, there Google search, Gmail etc couldn't exist.

EMEA is Google's second largest market, and it's not even close for competition. There is no way Google would be willing to cut revenue by $90 billion annually. It would be corporate suicide. The single greatest loss event of investor capital in history. They'll comply, just like Apple will comply with the DMA. They have a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders. Unlike the U.S., E.U lawmakers can't be bought.

> Unlike the U.S., E.U lawmakers can't be bought.

I'm curious if you're so naive to believe that or if you were trolling and wrote that with a straight face. Because cronies like Ursula Von Der Leyen would like to disagree with you.

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