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The fine is not the largest ever imposed on Google, however.
In October 2024 a charge was brought against the firm by a Russian court for restricting Russian state media channels on YouTube.
The fine was for two undecillion roubles - more than the world's total GDP.
about 0.11% of Google (Alphabet)'s total worth.
the price of doing business
The question is how much money did they make by using Android to block rivals. If using Android helped them make 1bn extra then this fine costs them 3bn and it doesn't make sense from them to keep doing it. If they made 100bn than obviously they will continue.
I mean, with it they've managed to build a walled garden that includes the majority of every phone in the world.
We can probably assume trillions.
Total Worth doesn't matter. What matters is revenue and profit anf that is the basis for the fine.
When it comes to something punitive like a fine, fine versus worth is literally the only thing that matters. If the fine isn't big enough, it's more like a fee for doing business. They just added to the bottom line and keep rolling.
significant investment to ensure Android remains open. Unless you want to install apps not from the google app store. Or develop apps not for the google app store. Or use a Captcha without having google services. Or use your bank website without google services. or use the internet without chrome. or... shit, sorry, I don't have time to list all the ways google wants the exact opposite of anything anywhere remaining "open" unless by "open" they mean "open to google's exploitation".
Using the internet without Chrome is basically the only thing you CAN do on Android.
...for now.
And google definitely doesn't like that. lol
Now lets use part of that money, to fund the development of open alternatives and interoperable protocols / standards. We cannot break a duopoly, if there aren't any alternatives, otherwise it will keep being a duopoly.
i can't stand microshaft, but at least windows phone was competition.
Google's behavior in this debacle has been utterly shameful. They got caught with their dick in the pie and have spent 8 fucking years arguing that it was for the good of society.
have spent 8 fucking years arguing
Part of the plan.
While continuing to thrust harder.
Need another one now for all the removal of side loading, that is another big antitrust issue. Best make the fine actually worth something this time.
Wait, Google is actually facing consequences. Am I dreaming?
I farted a few minutes ago. Google knows this and was able to monetize the sale of that data. My flatulence paid that fine.
These are not consequences. This is zero-calorie consequences.
Not zero calorie. They made more off your data and that shitty fine was a small cost of doing business.
Fun fact: I haven’t farted in hours. The misdirect both proves my point and devalues their product. Hilarious blip in the data.
Also, excuse to increase Taco Bell intake.
No, they are just getting a slap on the wrist.
It just sounds like a lot because we're poor peasants who think a thousand dollars is a life changing amount of money.
To company like google, 4 billion dollars is pocket change. a small evil tax compared to what they've made doing the evil.
Not really. They’ve made probably a few hundred billion from what they’ve done to be fined $5bil. Just a cost of business expense at this level.
👍🏽great stuff. BTW, stop using google products, there are enough good alternatives.
Is there a good alternative for maps?
CoMaps fulfills most of my needs
You must give us your pocket change for using your monopoly power to make trillions by abusing the market.
Right? Forcing them to keep Android open would be far more effective than this fine.
Snack money.
Chump change. Market cap: $4.4T. The cost of doing business is just scaling while normal people money is not.
Not long ago Walmart got fined by the CCP for poor food practices. Instead of saying "we disagree with the judgement" they licked the boot and said they look forward working with the government to resolve the situation. Point is, corporations should be afraid of the government, clearly Google is not afraid of the EU and as a result I expect similar behavior from them in the future.
And once again, Apple gets a pass for doing the same thing, only worse.
Apple don’t do anything remotely similar. Apple don’t let other manufacturers use iOS. What are you even talking about?
Pay who?
European Commission of course. They are the only ones left in the world trying to rein in the tech giants.
in the ideal world they would use the money and give it to open source phone projects.
I'd go further, I think in an ideal world all the countries of the world would be funding these projects and holding these huge tech companies to task.
