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U.S. accuses Google of abusing monopoly in ad technology

nytimes.com

51–60 of 266 posts

Re: U.S. accuses Google of abusing monopoly in ad technology

#51

I was neutral on google, they seem to be very low key, so they fly under the radar. Then I started to see their little ads tricks and the story on how they "acquired" google maps aka terra vision and yes , wouldnt put it beyond them to use every trick in the book they can get away with.

> on how they "acquiered" google maps aka terra vision I think you're thinking of Google Earth, and wasn't that story made up for a movie? edit: wiki says[1] there actually was a lawsuit the miniseries was based on, but the accuser lost because they had actually taken someone else's ideas for Terravision and then turned around and patented it? [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Earth#Other_concerns

I would not say it was made up, though.

Google engaged im negotiations to buy the patents.

And the software was presented in kioto in 1994, way before anyone else.

Re: U.S. accuses Google of abusing monopoly in ad technology

#52
post #44

Don’t fall or people will stomp on you.

This was coming one way or another. AI's threat to Google search is merely icing on the cake. Google has deserved this for a long time coming. AMP, Chrome, removal of ad blocking, defaulting to Google on Chrome and Android, strong arming of web standards...

Oh no, there's a default web browser on Android? Jeez, that's seriously abusive. I am sure that consumers hate that.

Re: U.S. accuses Google of abusing monopoly in ad technology

#53
post #4

https://archive.ph/vJYU2 I hope something comes of this, but other than a change in administration, what's new on this in the last decade? Hasn't Google essentially controlled most of online advertising for eons? In fact, perhaps more recently Facebook/Meta has chipped into that market more than how things were 8-10 years ago. I was part of an acquisition that Google made in the ad-tech industry back in 2011 and ther…

As an American it may just be attitudes. The last two administrations didn’t do much to Google, Democrat or Republican. But the idea of big tech being a wonder that unequivocally makes life better and doesn’t need oversight seems to be falling apart. Both for good (privacy) and bad (‘kill section 230!’) reasons.

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Re: U.S. accuses Google of abusing monopoly in ad technology

#54
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In 2017, Lina M. Khan, at the age of 27, published Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox. It said everyone was getting antitrust wrong, and there were other ways giant conglomerates were harming competition. Traditionally, unless the consumer was harmed through short term price fixing, just about anything was allowed to fly. The paper took the legal world by storm, and two years ago, she was nominated, confirmed, and appointed…

Small nit: the suit in TFA is from the DOJ, not the FTC.

They work in tandem.

The FTC shares jurisdiction over federal civil antitrust enforcement with the Department of Justice Antitrust Division. In some consumer protection matters, the FTC appears with, or supports, the U.S. Department of Justice.

Biden's FTC appointments are redefining FTC perspective on anti-trust, and DOJ is following suit.

Re: U.S. accuses Google of abusing monopoly in ad technology

#55
post #52
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This was coming one way or another. AI's threat to Google search is merely icing on the cake. Google has deserved this for a long time coming. AMP, Chrome, removal of ad blocking, defaulting to Google on Chrome and Android, strong arming of web standards...

Oh no, there's a default web browser on Android? Jeez, that's seriously abusive. I am sure that consumers hate that.

Microsoft's anti-trust case was around just this kind of behavior.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft_Cor....

Re: U.S. accuses Google of abusing monopoly in ad technology

#56

https://archive.ph/vJYU2 I hope something comes of this, but other than a change in administration, what's new on this in the last decade? Hasn't Google essentially controlled most of online advertising for eons? In fact, perhaps more recently Facebook/Meta has chipped into that market more than how things were 8-10 years ago. I was part of an acquisition that Google made in the ad-tech industry back in 2011 and ther…

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Re: U.S. accuses Google of abusing monopoly in ad technology

#57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think "whataboutism" is valid criticism when resources are limited.

Resources aren't too limited to pursue the listed things simultaneously, which is demobstrated by the fact that government actually is pursuing them. Which, to be fair, makes this not just “whataboutism” (which it still is) but more critically deliberate misrepresentation.

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Re: U.S. accuses Google of abusing monopoly in ad technology

#58

I was neutral on google, they seem to be very low key, so they fly under the radar. Then I started to see their little ads tricks and the story on how they "acquired" google maps aka terra vision and yes , wouldnt put it beyond them to use every trick in the book they can get away with.

That mockumentary is full of shit if you read more on the case law and what actually happened. Don’t worry, I felt made a fool of after watching too. The producers of Billion Dollar Code are weak for doing what they did, even if it makes the story better.

Well, the chronology of events does not do Google or any of the film critics any favors.

The German group presented the app at Kyoto, before anyone else did.

It appears at least to zooming tech was borrowed by google.

Google won in court, based on hearsay and date of patents.

I have to add, I have not even watched the movie, so my view should not be distorted, but I will give myself the unfiltered "based on a true story" as soon as I can.

Re: U.S. accuses Google of abusing monopoly in ad technology

#59
post #50
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/12/06/lina-khans-bat... For more context. A long but good read on the current FTC chairman.

Lina Khan may have written great papers but she isn't fit for the job. She harbors a hate for big tech and cannot be impartial in her dealings. See her recent attempt to prevent Meta from acquiring Within. There is no sane, level-headed case that could possibly paint this acquisition as an antitrust violation. Even most legal experts will agree that Lina Khan's case is a stretch at best. It's clear that this case is…

How does this hatred work? Does she keep a leaderboard? Does big tech include foreign companies? I don't know much about this person other than the usual media bio sketches. Where can I read more?

Re: U.S. accuses Google of abusing monopoly in ad technology

#60
post #15

https://archive.ph/vJYU2 I hope something comes of this, but other than a change in administration, what's new on this in the last decade? Hasn't Google essentially controlled most of online advertising for eons? In fact, perhaps more recently Facebook/Meta has chipped into that market more than how things were 8-10 years ago. I was part of an acquisition that Google made in the ad-tech industry back in 2011 and ther…

In 2017, Lina M. Khan, at the age of 27, published Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox. It said everyone was getting antitrust wrong, and there were other ways giant conglomerates were harming competition. Traditionally, unless the consumer was harmed through short term price fixing, just about anything was allowed to fly. The paper took the legal world by storm, and two years ago, she was nominated, confirmed, and appointed…

> Lina M. Khan, at the age of 27, published Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox

Is this a puff piece? She's just some government employee - she doesn't produce anything. It remains to be seen whether her aggressive interpretation of antitrust law will actually benefit consumers. We can split up Google into 100 companies and then we'll find out that the bales of cash advertising produces are no longer subsidizing the less profitable services. Maybe you'll have to pay to upload to YouTube or you won't get 15 GB of free gmail space or Hangouts will require an enterprise plan. But it'll all be worth it because some other adtech company who cares even less about your privacy than Google will now be able to sell search ads?

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