EU fines Google €890M for competition breaches over search and apps • Hacker News Board

Re: EU fines Google €890M for competition breaches over search and apps

#51

Post by throw101010 » Thu, Jul 23, 2026, 11:47 AM UTC

dlahoda wrote: post #33

BadBadJellyBean wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The maximum fine the EU can impose with the DMA is "10 % of its total worldwide turnover in the preceding financial year". I think this would hurt even Google. And I think a billion dollars is not nothing.

EU is just 1/20 of world population, why 10%? Seems dishonest. EU human valued 2x more of other human?

The same principle evoked in the rest of this thread, if the penalties match exactly or are under the profits you can generate by injuring (in the legal sense) EU citizens it's not really a penalty but rather a cost of business. Plus markets are very interconnected, especially the digital ones.

EU competition law is not framed around valuing Europeans more than others, it is framed around protecting competition and market functioning inside the EU.

No need to moralize it and pretend anyone is using this "value" European humans more than other humans.

Re: EU fines Google €890M for competition breaches over search and apps

#52

Post by GJim » Thu, Jul 23, 2026, 11:47 AM UTC

BadBadJellyBean wrote: post #25

lnsru wrote: post #21

EU just killed all hardware startups with Cyber Resilience Act. It killed all the SMEs There is Wikipedia article about this topic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber_Resilience_Act

I'm not familiar with the Act. Can you explain how it would kill theses startups?

It kills those hardware startups that attempt to make money by selling us insecure crap?

See also, the GDPR killing startups that attempt to invade our privacy and exploit personal data without permission.

Re: EU fines Google €890M for competition breaches over search and apps

#53

Post by BadBadJellyBean » Thu, Jul 23, 2026, 11:49 AM UTC

jdw64 wrote: post #29

I looked it up, and it seems that one issue is that Google, as a DMA gatekeeper, is supposed to provide anonymous data to other search services, but in practice, important parts of the actual data have been removed. The other issue is that competing AI services (not just Gemini) should also be allowed to run integrated app search. Reading about it, both points seem valid to me.

Also apps need to be allowed to conduct their transactions outside the appstore and the appstore must allow them to advertise that.

Re: EU fines Google €890M for competition breaches over search and apps

#54

Post by brazukadev » Thu, Jul 23, 2026, 11:52 AM UTC

mosura wrote: post #45

ivan_gammel wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It‘s nice to have such revenue to fund EU programs on digital sovereignty. European institutions give plenty of money to startups. You need an entry to the program, but when you are in, it can account for 50-70% or more in your early stage funding. And that‘s nice, because you keep more equity.

> You need an entry to the program, but when you are in, it can account for 50-70% or more in your early stage funding. It is almost entirely unsurprising that the EU tech industry is such a disaster area when people say things like this as if they are a good thing.

I find it more interesting that US Americans think letting their companies do whatever they want everywhere (as they currently do) is the better "strategy".

Re: EU fines Google €890M for competition breaches over search and apps

#55

Post by robin_reala » Thu, Jul 23, 2026, 11:52 AM UTC

dlahoda wrote: post #20

Article has no reference how exactly fine was reasoned to be specific amount. Nor specific examples of violations.

Presumably that’s covered by article 30 of the law: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/1925/oj#art_30

Re: EU fines Google €890M for competition breaches over search and apps

#56

Post by sunaookami » Thu, Jul 23, 2026, 11:52 AM UTC

amazingamazing wrote: post #32

[flagged]

On a huge decline and the people are dissatisfied which leads to populist parties becoming more popular and the current governments trying to hold their power by passing draconian laws.

Re: EU fines Google €890M for competition breaches over search and apps

#57

Post by timpera » Thu, Jul 23, 2026, 11:55 AM UTC

The lengthy legal battle against these fines is going to be extremely interesting, especially on the Shopping/Hotels/Flights side since it is an extremely competitive market. I wonder if the lower EU court will keep its overly proactive approach despite the CJEU's reversals.

Re: EU fines Google €890M for competition breaches over search and apps

#58

Post by inemesitaffia » Thu, Jul 23, 2026, 11:56 AM UTC

Hikikomori wrote: post #30

inemesitaffia wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Less than the Iranian regime has.

At least they didn't double tap a school.

Agents of the Iranian government rape women as part of religious enforcement and hide bodies post murder to hide the evidence.

There's no evidence of double tapping the school.

That requires live surveillance. Come back when you have video of that.

Re: EU fines Google €890M for competition breaches over search and apps

#59

Post by clear-octopus » Thu, Jul 23, 2026, 11:58 AM UTC

ivan_gammel wrote: post #36

hirako2000 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The cost increases, but given the revenue Google generates how is that not just a tax? I've never received a dollar from the EU as a victim. If the fines are moderate and big co keeps paying that's steady revenue for the EU institutions.

It‘s nice to have such revenue to fund EU programs on digital sovereignty. European institutions give plenty of money to startups. You need an entry to the program, but when you are in, it can account for 50-70% or more in your early stage funding. And that‘s nice, because you keep more equity.

[dead]

Re: EU fines Google €890M for competition breaches over search and apps

#60

Post by logicchains » Thu, Jul 23, 2026, 11:58 AM UTC

BadBadJellyBean wrote: post #50

lnsru wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So basically you need 3 persons writing compliance documentation and taking care of cybersecurity. Basically another 200000€ personal cost year in low cost area. 250000€ or more in bigger cities. You have a microprocessor in your product and it’s done deal. No big deal for corporations though. Buddy’s workplace hired new compliance department for this topic with 30 persons. That’s competition european way.

I'd rather have that than insecure hardware. It seems like it forces security to be a first class priority instead of an afterthought.

It forces Europeans wanting to build hardware startups to go overseas, so there's even fewer new European hardware companies and Europe becomes even more dependent on the US and China.