+4 votes
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Google has been fined $2.7bn by the European Commission for promoting its own projects in the Google search. This is the largest penalty faced by Google. European regulators gave the tech giant 90 days to stop its illegal activities or face fines of up to 5% of the average daily worldwide turnover of parent company Alphabet. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-40406542

4 Answers

+3 votes
by

Dear Dan,

I don't totally understand the issues here, looks to me that Google has been caught and should pay up and get its act straightened out, but perhaps I am not really fair, somehow?

Because truthfully, I am irked right now with powerful American corporations, bullying everybody...and in any case, look at the relativity:

* * *

Google already HAS $90 bn, so the $2.7bn fine is actually only 3% of its worth. Well, lots of old folks here in good ol' USA get around $1,000 monthly Social Security (and are lucky if they have $1,000 stashed in the bank). So 3% of their monthly worth would be (a whopping) $30. However, even a traffic ticket is often in the range of $150...a fine of 15% of their monthly worth if you get out of line...

But Google is worried about the precedent that would be set...(sigh)...again I don't think I fully understand Google's side of this, but I have a difficult time sympathizing.

+3 votes
by

There are quite a few giant industries and businesses monopolising the markets and imposing their rules to economic places and regions, closing the doors to diversity and regional autonomy.

Sadly enough, too many are not aware that the "biodiversity" of activities, productions, societies, sectors, professions, regions, resources, etc. is critically endangered.

And European countries need to switch to more autonomy and diversification.


http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-40406542

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/americas-most-successful-companies-are-killing-the-economy-2017-05-24


by

Dear Marianne,

I especially appreciated your second link...in fact, I bookmarked it on my computer. It explains a lot, confirms my own "encounter" (eviction) with what your link calls "winner-take-all" capitalism.

I am really coming late to this concern, it seems...there is lots of well-considered evaluation out there now; but attempting to make up for lost time...

by

Thank you, Virginia.

There have always been certain inconsistencies in all the theories, but many specific questions were taboo, formerly, and too many things and people were taken for granted ...


by

Yes Marianne, I am seeing that more and more...there is a lot more to "participatory democracy" than I ever imagined!

by

Lol - Virginia, indeed, I agree with you.


+3 votes
by

This doesn't surprise me in the least! Although I like Google for some things, it is a very invasive system. Thanks to Adblockplus and uBlock? I don't have to deal with their ads. It must be worse in Europe as I usually have to clean a bunch of tracking cookies off my unit whenever I use it for long. I've been hit on once or twice to buy something through them instead of Amazon or another company. Very coy reminders that Google has a better price on some things. It'll get overloaded here soon enough also.

by

Those spyware/malware are truly awful, I agree.

+3 votes
by

I wasn't able to find out how much Google is alleged to have profited from its illegal activities, so it's hard to say whether the fine is commensurate or not, but I would guess that it probably is.  Surely the EU Commission must have an estimate.

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