Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Google contract prevented Motorola from setting Perplexity as default assistant

bloomberg.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 206 posts

Re: Google contract prevented Motorola from setting Perplexity as default assistant

#71

Post by jsiepkes »

bitpush wrote: post #57
wordofx wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No they changed their development process to do it behind closed doors and release the code after final release.

Again, I ask isn't that still open source?

You can't even install the resulting binaries of an opensource Android build on a phone because of gaps. And even if you could (or fill in the gaps) Google poisoned the ecosystem by ensuring almost all Android apps require Google Play services. Which aren't open source and you realistically need for all Android apps.

So no, Google made sure there is no open source Android. There are just some (incomplete) source dumps.

Re: Google contract prevented Motorola from setting Perplexity as default assistant

#72

Post by phire »

mkhalil wrote: post #24

Did anyone read this article? The headline is misleading. It clearly states in the first line: > "Google’s contract with Lenovo Group Ltd.’s Motorola blocked the smartphone maker from setting Perplexity AI as the default assistant on its new devices" They didn't block Perplexity AI from Motorola's devices, the agreement states that they allow them to preload the devices with Perplexity, but the agreement, that both p…

It’s a little oversimplified, but I wouldn’t call it misleading.

There is little point to getting an app like perplexity AI pre-installed on a phone as a non-default. Changing defaults isn’t exactly trivial, and any user motivated enough to go through that will have no problems installing the app from the App Store.

So of course the deal fell through.

And it’s accurate to say that “Google blocked a deal to put Perplexity AI on Motorola phones”, and highly monopolistic.

Though… as an end user and occasional family tech support person, I’m thankful for anything that reduces pre-installed bloatware on phones. Thanks google.

Re: Google contract prevented Motorola from setting Perplexity as default assistant

#73

Post by dayvigo »

MrDarcy wrote: post #64
benoau wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They blocked Perplexity via agreements, amongst many agreements to fortify their monopoly, the legality of which has been challenged in court and this testimony is to demonstrate that this agreement also belongs in the "illegal" bucket.

[flagged]

[flagged]

Re: Google contract prevented Motorola from setting Perplexity as default assistant

#75

Post by mandevil »

MrDarcy wrote: post #64
benoau wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They blocked Perplexity via agreements, amongst many agreements to fortify their monopoly, the legality of which has been challenged in court and this testimony is to demonstrate that this agreement also belongs in the "illegal" bucket.

[flagged]

This is wildly wrong. Ever since the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 (1) companies are forbidden from using monopoly powers to force other parties to sign deals, which is the question about which Perplexity is testifying- whether Google is using it's market monopoly power in one area (cell phone operating systems) to force other companies to sign deals that unfairly hurt competitors in a different market (AI assistants). And that's been illegal for a very long time.

1: Named for John Sherman, General William Sherman's younger brother, who was a Senator from Ohio. That's how long this law has been around!

Re: Google contract prevented Motorola from setting Perplexity as default assistant

#76

Post by 3eb7988a1663 »

MrDarcy wrote: post #64
benoau wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They blocked Perplexity via agreements, amongst many agreements to fortify their monopoly, the legality of which has been challenged in court and this testimony is to demonstrate that this agreement also belongs in the "illegal" bucket.

[flagged]

You mean like two people agreeing to sell drugs to each other? Organs? Prostitution?

Re: Google contract prevented Motorola from setting Perplexity as default assistant

#77

Post by surajrmal »

zodiakzz wrote: post #65
MrDarcy wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Google could be running foul of antitrust laws if forcing Gemini as default on Android OEM's is part of the standard contract required to use the Android brand.

The use of the android brand is allowed to be used by anything passing the compatibility test suite. That doesn't have any Google specific requirements afaik. Contracts with Google only come into play when trying to utilize Google play services or google play store in your product.

Re: Google contract prevented Motorola from setting Perplexity as default assistant

#78

Post by bitpush »

jsiepkes wrote: post #71
bitpush wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Again, I ask isn't that still open source?

You can't even install the resulting binaries of an opensource Android build on a phone because of gaps. And even if you could (or fill in the gaps) Google poisoned the ecosystem by ensuring almost all Android apps require Google Play services. Which aren't open source and you realistically need for all Android apps. So no, Google made sure there is no open source Android. There are just some (incomplete) source dump…

Gapps were ever open source. Android, the operating system, is what's open source.

Are you saying because Google Maps isn't open source, the operating system is useless?

Re: Google contract prevented Motorola from setting Perplexity as default assistant

#79

Post by surajrmal »

keeda wrote: post #50
mkhalil wrote: post #24

Did anyone read this article? The headline is misleading. It clearly states in the first line: > "Google’s contract with Lenovo Group Ltd.’s Motorola blocked the smartphone maker from setting Perplexity AI as the default assistant on its new devices" They didn't block Perplexity AI from Motorola's devices, the agreement states that they allow them to preload the devices with Perplexity, but the agreement, that both p…

Sure a contract was signed, but as has been pointed out many times about Google's heavy-handed control over Android, it doesn't mean it was fair to all parties: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/07/googles-iron-grip-on... Given the recent judgements about Google's anticompetitive behavior in multiple other arenas, revisiting these licensing agreements seems justified.

Android is open source and Google play services is technically possible to avoid. What other major operating system vendor for consumer electronics goes out of their way to make this sort of thing possible? Apple and Microsoft sure don't.

Re: Google contract prevented Motorola from setting Perplexity as default assistant

#80

Post by tomjakubowski »

esseph wrote: post #61
paxys wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most online journalism relies on clickbait, and they know people aren't going to read too much past the headline to care (and 99% of threads on sites like HN clearly demonstrate that).

You should just say 99% of material, because it has nothing to do with the "type" of site, what you're talking about is just a human behavior.

"The very basis of interhuman discourse is misunderstanding"
Post reply on HN