Are there laws on monopolies in the EU?
Yes. Extensive details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union_competition_law
Google should be broken up, say European MPs
51–60 of 153 posts
Re: Google should be broken up, say European MPs
#52> Google has around 90% market share for search in Europe It's a complete monopoly and the barrier to entry is huge. Might be a good thing to break them up.
Quick (and perhaps stupid) question; how is Google a monopoly? There are other alternatives to search available. If people really wanted to, they could use Bing. It's not like Google is using some horrendous anti-competitive practices to prevent other search engines from gaining market share. Two characteristics of monopolies (as per wikipedia) are "High barriers" and "Single seller" both of which don't apply to Goog…
Google isn't a monopoly for the users of the search engine - you're right, they can move to whichever search engine they like - many which are almost or as good as Google.
The problem is for advertisers and website owners. If you are advertising on search engines and you don't have your adverts on Google, you're missing out on 90% of users. That's why they're a monopoly. Moving your adverts to Bing just isn't an alternative.
Re: Google should be broken up, say European MPs
#53I know a lot of people kind of scoff at the idea of breaking up Google because they happen to offer the best product, but here are the 4 points mentioned >The manner in which Google displays its own vertical search services compared with other, competing products > How Google copies content from other websites - such as restaurant reviews - to include within its own services > The exclusivity Google has to sell adver…
> First point is kind of hard to fight in my opinion, since a company has the right to publish its own services.
Microsoft was forced to include a browser choice screen and not use IE by default on Windows computers sold in the EU. The same happens here - you have different responsibilities when you're in a dominant position.
Re: Google should be broken up, say European MPs
#54> Google has around 90% market share for search in Europe It's a complete monopoly and the barrier to entry is huge. Might be a good thing to break them up.
yes, because breaking up a monopoly does so well in ending name recognition.
you cannot monopolize search, you might just be able to monopolize being good at it - so then what,force them to license it out?
Really is the answer to "our national industries/companies are fail, lets force others to be fail too" all that they have to go on?
How do you monopolize search, you claim it, tell me.
Re: Google should be broken up, say European MPs
#55I don't know a lot about the requirements of these operations; how can the European Union guarantee that each Subgoogle does not agree with the rest to provide services to each other that I can't access to? I don't see how they can enforce that any company can be playing a level field against another subgoogle competitor...
That's not what it's really about. It's going to end up being about the fine, which the article suggests could amount to five billion dollars. That buys a lot of limousine tires and office chairs.
What unsubstantiated, loaded dross. Sorry but what point is there in saying what you have? How does progress any discussion at all?
Re: Google should be broken up, say European MPs
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
I agree that its a monopoly, though I find it funny that serious time & consideration is being given to discuss breaking them up. Google are a company who have a product (search, among many). Their product is successful (many people use search). Competitors obviously find it hard to break into the market, and want to make that easier. Is this not how business works? A company creates a product and tries to make it as…
You're misunderstanding the issue here – monopoly isn't a problem, but abuse of it is. To use your example – your company makes car types, and has a monopoly. You then branch out, and start making cars as well. And you redesign your tyres such that they're only compatible with your car. Oh, and the roads everywhere only work with your tyres. That's an abuse of monopoly, and that's what the target is. Look at that fac…
Fair point. I didn't pick up on this from the article. It's this exact reason that I use Firefox & DuckDuckGo.
I based my statement on this:
> The European Parliament has voted in favour of breaking Google up, as a solution to complaints that it favours is own services in search results.
The key part there being ..it favours its own services in search results. In my opinion they are free to rank search results in whatever manner they wish.
Re: Google should be broken up, say European MPs
#57If they actually knew what they were talking about, they would be voting to decentralize the internet, not break Google up. I don't think trying to break up Microsoft or fine them for bundling internet explorer achieved a whole lot. They are looking at the problem the wrong way.
The strange thing is that Microsoft got hit for bundling IE while the two big mobile/tablet OSs both not only ship with their own web browser but also (for iOS) grant the platform-preferred browser powers that no other application is allowed (JIT compilation).
The question of "a market" versus "two distinct markets" is a vexed one. Is "phone browser" a seperate market from "phone"?
Re: Google should be broken up, say European MPs
#58I kind of feel sorry for Europe, that their leaders can't see the enormous positive impact Google is having on the world. And in general I hate behemoth corporations. Google is different. The moment they start behaving like other Fortune 100 companies is the moment I stop rooting for them. There are still too many complacent monopolies in the world to break up Google. Unfortunately Google is the only one with the mon…
The 'there are other worse things so we can ignore this' argument? Really?
Re: Google should be broken up, say European MPs
#59Sometimes things change, Google search is so big in Europe (the article sites 90%) that perhaps we should no longer view it as a private company.
A good Internet search engine has a huge impact on less tech-savvy people. My parents have never ever used anything but Google, and don't even understand that there are _other_ search engines out there. As such perhaps we should view it as a public utility. Just like the public transit system brings people to real destinations google search brings people to virtual destinations.
At the same time this shouldn't deprive Google of its revenue. So an approach should be taken which enforces neutrality in search results but also leaves room to serve adds.
I think that recent actions from Google are partially to blame for this attention from the European council. There have been warnings thrown Googles way. As it stands I believe Google is even breaking privacy laws with the fusion of Youtube and Google+ behind the scenes. There was also criticism from the Council about google blurring the distinction between adds and real results. So this can't come as a surprise to Google.