Google Illegally Exploiting Its Dominance

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By MATTHEW BARAKAT and MICHAEL LIEDTKE
“Updated 7:38 PM EDT, August 5, 2024

WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge on Monday ruled that Google’s ubiquitous search engine has been illegally exploiting its dominance to squash competition and stifle innovation, a seismic decision that could shake up the internet and hobble one of the world’s best-known companies.”

 

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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SueW, WSbobby-p, Alex5723, BobbyB, NaNoNyMouse

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What about Chrome dominance ?

Should Google be punished for having the best search engine ?
Should any one be punished for having the best in class service, product… ?

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It’s not clear to me from the article referenced above by @bbearren that they have been punished. But if they have been, or will be, it’s not for the quality of their product – it’s for breaking the law.

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DrBonzo wrote:

But if they have been, or will be

Google will appeal which will take years and only then remedies will be enforced.

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As a result of the trial’s outcome, the DoJ (Dept. of Justice) is now looking to possibly break up Google as a whole. More info here

https://www.axios.com/2024/10/09/google-justice-department-search-monopoly-lawsuit

and here

https://www.itpro.com/business/policy-and-legislation/doj-mulls-potential-google-services-breakup-in-monopoly-lawsuit-what-happens-next

 

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Bob99 wrote:

looking to possibly break up Google as a whole

It won’t happen.

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If this so called ‘breakup’ resembles anything like the one ‘breakup’ that created all the Baby Bell’s a few years ago IMHO that’s one large screw-up that does NOT need to be repeated! That judge cost the United States technology sector into a decline that was almost impossible to recover from.

Measure TWICE cut ONCE.

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Charlie, Lars220, windbg, Alex5723

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DOJ Will Push Google to Sell Chrome to Break Search Monopoly

Top Justice Department antitrust officials have decided to ask a judge to force Alphabet Inc.’s Google to sell off its Chrome browser in what would be a historic crackdown on one of the world’s biggest tech companies…

* Donald Trump has appointed Brendan Carr as the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

..Carr supports changes to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and opposes net neutrality protections.[9][10] Carr is noted for his support for banning TikTok on national security grounds.[11][12] He is an opponent of content moderation on digital platforms..

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DOJ asked the court to order Google to sell Chrome and Android.

..Chrome Divestiture: Google must promptly and fully divest Chrome, to a buyer
approved by the Plaintiffs in their sole discretion, subject to terms that the Court and Plaintiffs
approve. Google may not release any other Google Browser during the term of this Final
Judgment absent approval by the Court

Android Divestiture Option: In lieu of adhering to the requirements of this Section
V with respect to Android, Google may elect to fully divest Android, to a buyer approved by the
Plaintiffs in their sole discretion, subject to terms that the Court and Plaintiffs approve. If Google
chooses to retain control of Android but fails to comply with the requirements of this Section V as they apply to Android, or if compliance with or enforcement of this Final Judgment proves
unadministrable or ineffective, then Plaintiffs may petition the Court to order the divestiture of
Android…

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Cybertooth

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Competition Bureau sues Google for anti-competitive conduct in online advertising in Canada

The Competition Bureau is taking legal action against Google for anti-competitive conduct in online advertising technology services in Canada…

The Bureau’s application with the Competition Tribunal seeks an order that, among other things:

requires Google to sell two of its ad tech tools;
directs Google to pay a penalty to promote compliance with the Competition Act; and
prohibits Google from continuing to engage in anticompetitive practices…

1 user thanked author for this post.

Cybertooth

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Google lost again in court

Google has illegal advertising monopoly, judge rules

A US judge has ruled tech giant Google has a monopoly in online advertising technology.

The US Department of Justice, along with 17 US states, sued Google, arguing the tech giant was illegally dominating the technology which determines which adverts should be placed online and where.

This is the second antitrust case Google has lost in a year, after it was ruled the company also had a monopoly on online search…

* The break up of Google is near (As is Meta’s Instagram and WhatsApp).

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SueW, Cybertooth

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Mozilla’s CEO weighs in on U.S. v. Google

..The outcome of this case isn’t just about one company, it’s about the future of the internet and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

There are only three main browser engines left and only one engine—Mozilla’s Gecko—is not owned by a Big Tech company. Browser engines shape how the web works. Gecko powers Firefox (and other independent browsers) and puts privacy and people first.

If it disappears, so does the open web…

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windbg, WSbobby-p, TechTango, amiawitch, SueW, Charlie, bbearren, Cybertooth

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Google has pretty much made encyclopedias unnecessary.  I have a set of encyclopedias that I bought in 1974 and they’re good for knowing how things were back then.  I hate to think what the “free world” would be like without Google now.

Being 20 something in the 70's was so much better than being 70 something in the insane 20's

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DOJ’s sweeping remedies would harm America’s economy and technological leadership

..DOJ’s proposal would make it harder for you to get to services you prefer. People use Google because they want to, not because they have to. DOJ’s proposal would force browsers and phones to default to search services like Microsoft’s Bing, making it harder for you to access Google.

DOJ’s proposal to prevent us from competing for the right to distribute Search would raise prices and slow innovation. Device makers and web browsers (like Mozilla’s Firefox) rely on the revenue they receive from search distribution. Removing that revenue would raise the cost of mobile phones and handicap the web browsers that you use every day.

DOJ’s proposal would force Google to share your most sensitive and private search queries with companies you may never have heard of, jeopardizing your privacy and security. Your private information would be exposed, without your permission, to companies that lack Google’s world-class security protections, where it could be exploited by bad actors….

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windbg, Charlie

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This reads exactly like something I’d expect Google to write.

 

In my opinion the question is who are you going to trust these days?  The DOJ, or any other government agency?  Google, or any other large tech company?  For me, these are difficult questions since none of these entities has done much to engender or earn trust.

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WSbobby-p, Alex5723, SueW

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OpenAI Would Buy Google’s Chrome

OpenAI’s ChatGPT chief, Nick Turley, said the company would be interested in buying Google’s Chrome browser if a federal court orders it to be spun off…

Turley testified that having Chrome more deeply integrated into OpenAI would allow for a better product and a more seamless user experience…

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