Europe's War on Google Could Ruin Android

[jimmysmitty]

Slight bias in the article here (slight understatement also).

I live in the EU and the main issue they have with google is not what the article states, it's that google directs people using their services to their products. Prioritising their adverts on google search for example. Uncompetitive.

It isn't a War, this investigation has been going on for years and Google have continued down the path ignoring the EU's competition commission requests. While I'm no fan of the EU commission, this article paints them as monkeys trying to crush US companies.

I'm also happy with how my android and google services work and can quite easily ignore the obvious paid for top searches.

Apple get away with it because they don't force anything on anyone, they do it all themselves and can protect their ecosystem.

Google needs to play by the rules in the EU or suck up the impending fine.

It'd be nice if they also paid tax too.

Wait, you are saying that Google is trying to get you to buy and utilize their services? How dare a company try to get you to buy/use their product instead of a competitors.

Can you honestly say that Microsoft should offer competing products in their own product? How is that even competitive? It isn't. It is free advertisement for the competition. Competitive s when the opposing company offers a superior product/service like how for desktops Windows is better than Android/OSX for all around and on mobile Android is better than Windows Phone (might change with WP10).

I am all for competition however a company should not be required to offer their competitors products or services directly. Microsoft has Office in the App Store and Play Store. That is all that needs to be done. If Google was stopping that or Apple was then that is anti competitive, much like you can still install any media player or browser on Windows.

 

[RobWHS]

The EU didn't bat an eyelid when Google mapped the streets of Europe.

They did, especially in Germany, where public photography and filming is not a right and you must ask people's permission.

Google was also sued for mining data from people's unsecured networks while they were doing this.

They didn't in the UK. Yet cops were scolding tourists in Central London for taking photographs!!
Yep I read about the WI-FI mining.

 

[billybobser]

Slight bias in the article here (slight understatement also).

I live in the EU and the main issue they have with google is not what the article states, it's that google directs people using their services to their products. Prioritising their adverts on google search for example. Uncompetitive.

It isn't a War, this investigation has been going on for years and Google have continued down the path ignoring the EU's competition commission requests. While I'm no fan of the EU commission, this article paints them as monkeys trying to crush US companies.

I'm also happy with how my android and google services work and can quite easily ignore the obvious paid for top searches.

Apple get away with it because they don't force anything on anyone, they do it all themselves and can protect their ecosystem.

Google needs to play by the rules in the EU or suck up the impending fine.

It'd be nice if they also paid tax too.

Wait, you are saying that Google is trying to get you to buy and utilize their services? How dare a company try to get you to buy/use their product instead of a competitors.

Can you honestly say that Microsoft should offer competing products in their own product? How is that even competitive? It isn't. It is free advertisement for the competition. Competitive s when the opposing company offers a superior product/service like how for desktops Windows is better than Android/OSX for all around and on mobile Android is better than Windows Phone (might change with WP10).

I am all for competition however a company should not be required to offer their competitors products or services directly. Microsoft has Office in the App Store and Play Store. That is all that needs to be done. If Google was stopping that or Apple was then that is anti competitive, much like you can still install any media player or browser on Windows.

When you are in a market dominant position and use tactics to further exclude competition, you are creating a monopoly.

In Europe, we don't like these, as they harm the consumer.

However, the US is all for these, we just have to look at their cable companies.

 

[Vlad Rose]

When you are in a market dominant position and use tactics to further exclude competition, you are creating a monopoly.

In Europe, we don't like these, as they harm the consumer.

However, the US is all for these, we just have to look at their cable companies.

Grrr.. don't get me started on Charter... they're such ripoff artists! lol

 

[jimmysmitty]

Slight bias in the article here (slight understatement also).

I live in the EU and the main issue they have with google is not what the article states, it's that google directs people using their services to their products. Prioritising their adverts on google search for example. Uncompetitive.

It isn't a War, this investigation has been going on for years and Google have continued down the path ignoring the EU's competition commission requests. While I'm no fan of the EU commission, this article paints them as monkeys trying to crush US companies.

I'm also happy with how my android and google services work and can quite easily ignore the obvious paid for top searches.

Apple get away with it because they don't force anything on anyone, they do it all themselves and can protect their ecosystem.

Google needs to play by the rules in the EU or suck up the impending fine.

It'd be nice if they also paid tax too.

Wait, you are saying that Google is trying to get you to buy and utilize their services? How dare a company try to get you to buy/use their product instead of a competitors.

Can you honestly say that Microsoft should offer competing products in their own product? How is that even competitive? It isn't. It is free advertisement for the competition. Competitive s when the opposing company offers a superior product/service like how for desktops Windows is better than Android/OSX for all around and on mobile Android is better than Windows Phone (might change with WP10).

I am all for competition however a company should not be required to offer their competitors products or services directly. Microsoft has Office in the App Store and Play Store. That is all that needs to be done. If Google was stopping that or Apple was then that is anti competitive, much like you can still install any media player or browser on Windows.

When you are in a market dominant position and use tactics to further exclude competition, you are creating a monopoly.

In Europe, we don't like these, as they harm the consumer.

However, the US is all for these, we just have to look at their cable companies.

There is a difference between using tactics to further exclude competition and just advertising your services. When Microsoft added IE into the system, of course they wanted you it use it but they also were using it as a platform to launch explorer as the main way to navigate your PC. They did not stop you from being able to install a different browser nor have they stopped you from making it your default browser.

Now you can pull IE out of the OS as IE and explorer are separate.

Same thing with Media player. It always has been removable but is a standard media player so that not so tech savvy people wont accidentally install junkware to watch a movie or listen to music on their PC. They never stopped you from using WinAMP or VLC Player at all. Hell I didn't start using WMP at all until the version that came with 7 and now I still use Media Player Classic over it for movies.

And we are not fans of monopolies. Plenty of big companies have been whacked and split. Hell there was a lawsuit in the US that Microsoft lost well before the EU decided to go after them. As well, Bell got split up (big phone company).

I just think forcing a company to advertise for the competition or offer the competitions services is stupid. It is not competitive.