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European Parliament votes in favour of breaking up Google

bbc.co.uk

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Re: European Parliament votes in favour of breaking up Google

#31

Post by tormeh »

Elrac wrote: post #28
praptak wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Europe is not the same as its government, just as the US is not the same as the US government. Btw, European Parliament is also not the same as Europe government. It has much weaker influence on things than a typical parliament of a country.

Exactly. There's a lot less cohesion and a lot less centralized power. Some European governments ship politicians off to Euro-government just to get them out of the way. Perhaps not quite justly, the Euro Parliament is sometimes considered a retirement institution for incompetent politicians.

"In Brussels, no one can hear you scream" (Borgen)

Re: European Parliament votes in favour of breaking up Google

#34

Post by pasta_2 »

Brakenshire wrote: post #26

To copy from the previous discussion. These are the issues that are up for debate: >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 advertising around the search terms people use > Restrictions on advertisers…

The intention was never to break them up. MEPs calling for it is just to show the EU Commission that they have the political support to take the gloves off.

If you actually want to know the justification for the EU doing this you should read this paper by Ben Edelman.

http://www.benedelman.org/publications/google-tying-2014-10-...

He's consulted for various Google competitors but he's also a professor at Harvard Business School, and the argument he makes is sound.

Re: European Parliament votes in favour of breaking up Google

#35

Post by tomp »

byEngineer wrote: post #19
kghose wrote: post #10

Because the only de facto monopolies allowed in the EU are european, like Airbus.

And NOBODY would even dare to think to treat Russian monopolies like that. Monopolies that actually are a real threat to Europe. Like Gazprom.

Well... right now, Europe pretty much depends on Gazprom et al. They are working fast trying to introduce alternatives (gas from US, new gas pipes under the Mediterranean and from the middle east, fracking in the UK), but there is a long way to go.

Re: European Parliament votes in favour of breaking up Google

#36

Post by venomsnake »

EU bureaucracy logic at its best - go after google and microsoft, but we let apple do whatever they want. For me they with their closed ecosystem are both bigger danger and more anti competitive than both Google and Microsoft combined. Or at least force them to accept other web browsers in their store.

Re: European Parliament votes in favour of breaking up Google

#37

Post by gutnor »

Elrac wrote: post #5

As someone living in Europe, I think they don't realize that, in a way, Google is bigger than the European Parliament. The citizens of Europe barely take the European Parliament seriously, and there's not much reason for Google to. I happen to be a fan of Duck Duck Go. But I think Google can do without Europe more easily than Europe can do without Google. There's no need to go to extremes, either. Just like Microsoft…

Europe is mainly about regulating a common market, that's what it does, what it was design to do since day 1. Not taking seriously would cause Google infinite problem if they don't pull from Europe entirely.

It is all the other things that Europe is not taken seriously for. Before the crisis citizen living in Europe had some feeling of being European (see the talk about a social Europe, European constitution, ...). The crisis had made clear that countries in Europe are business partners rather than a "union of countries", hence the recent push of euro-sceptic parties all over Europe and the call for "preserving country X sovereignty" by traditional parties.

The failures of/problem of the EURO currency recently and the weirdo relationship it caused between EURO-zone countries is a confusing point, but in general, from an economic point of view, Europe is quite active and well respected between all the members. ( and do not get confused by the "Brussels made us do it" card politician play in order to apply unpopular decision they nevertheless supported )

Re: European Parliament votes in favour of breaking up Google

#38

Post by comboy »

cbeach wrote: post #30

To copy from the previous discussion: I was blocked indefinitely from Adsense by Google's faulty algorithms (without explanation and with appeals rejected without explanation). I lost the revenue I'd earnt that month, and soon realised Google holds a monopoly in this space, and no one else offered a comparable service. I'm all for Google's stronghold to be broken. reply

I'm in minority, but with all VCs funding available today I just don't get any anti-monopoly laws.

Adsense didn't work for you and you are unhappy with the experience. Does some other company solution works better for you? Then switch. If it doesn't then adsense is giving you the best value for your money and I see no reason for inefficient governments to interfere with how efficient companies function.

edit: I don't mind downvotes but I would appreciate some arguments, especially if you don't agree but you are in favor of free market as opposed to heavily regulated one.

Re: European Parliament votes in favour of breaking up Google

#39

Post by archgrove »

venomsnake wrote: post #36

EU bureaucracy logic at its best - go after google and microsoft, but we let apple do whatever they want. For me they with their closed ecosystem are both bigger danger and more anti competitive than both Google and Microsoft combined. Or at least force them to accept other web browsers in their store.

Apple don't have anything even vaguely approaching a monopoly in any area. Their market share in everything from phones to computers is 90% for search. You can't have a "Monopoly on the contents of the iPhone app store" any more than Coke has a "Monopoly on the contents of Coke cans", and thus should be forced to fill some with Pepsi.

Re: European Parliament votes in favour of breaking up Google

#40

Post by lumberjack »

venomsnake wrote: post #36

EU bureaucracy logic at its best - go after google and microsoft, but we let apple do whatever they want. For me they with their closed ecosystem are both bigger danger and more anti competitive than both Google and Microsoft combined. Or at least force them to accept other web browsers in their store.

Apple is completely opt-in unlike Microsoft and Google.
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