Forum Moderators: goodroi
EU Votes To Split Up Google's Services
[edited by: nonstop at 2:06 pm (utc) on Nov 27, 2014]
Almunia : I wouldn't be surprised if people at some quarters had dark suspicions about the way he was dealing with the Google issue . . . . . . . .
and the EU have just voted to break up Google
Google's shares are barely down.
It'll be interesting to see whether the outcome of this 'think tank' will result in tangible change.Most businesses and people in the EU ignore the Brussels sprouts.
Stresses the need to ensure a level playing field for companies operating in the digital single market in order for them to be able to compete; calls, therefore, on the Commission to properly enforce EU competition rules in order to prevent excessive market concentration and abuse of dominant position and to monitor competition with regard to bundled content and services;
Search market and price comparison websites
13. Welcomes the announcement by the Commissioner for competition of further investigations by the Commission into search engines’ practices and the digital market in general;
14. Notes that the online search market and price comparison websites are of particular importance in ensuring competitive conditions within the digital single market, given their potential development into gatekeepers and the possibility they have of commercialising secondary exploitation of information obtained; therefore calls on the Commission to strengthen the monitoring of so-called ‘first mover’ advantages and network effects in the digital sector that can quickly develop into abuses of dominant positions, and to enforce EU competition rules decisively, on the basis of input from all relevant stakeholders and taking into account the entire structure of the digital single market in order to ensure remedies that truly benefit consumers, internet users and online businesses;
13. Notes that the online search market is of particular importance in ensuring competitive conditions within the digital single market, given the potential development of search engines into gatekeepers and the possibility they have of commercialising secondary exploitation of information obtained; calls, therefore, on the Commission to enforce EU competition rules decisively, based on input from all relevant stakeholders and taking into account the entire structure of the digital single market in order to ensure remedies that truly benefit consumers, internet users and online businesses; calls, furthermore, on the Commission to consider proposals aimed at unbundling search engines from other commercial services as one potential long-term solution;
The European Commission began an antitrust investigation into Google in November 2010 after a number of companies, including Microsoft, complained that the company was promoting its own services and products at the expense of others.
Has a nation state any right to dictate to a foreign business how it operates? I don't believe so.
The European Parliament called on EU member states and the European Commission to break down barriers to the growth of the EU's digital single market in a resolution voted on Thursday. MEPs also stressed the need to prevent online companies from abusing dominant positions by enforcing EU competition rules and unbundling search engines from other commercial services. MEPs zero in on internet search companies and clouds [europarl.europa.eu]
Given the role of internet search engines in “commercialising secondary exploitation of obtained information” and the need to enforce EU competition rules, MEPs also call on the Commission “to consider proposals with the aim of unbundling search engines from other commercial services” in the long run.
If I were Google I'd put a projection down to show the EU how much money they spend in the EU, how many people they employ, internet services purchased locally for a better grade of service, etc.
Google Segment International Revenues - Google segment revenues from outside of the United States totaled $8.77 billion, representing 56% of total Google segment revenues in the fourth quarter of 2013, compared to 56% in the third quarter of 2013 and 54% in the fourth quarter of 2012.
Google segment revenues from the United Kingdom totaled $1.50 billion, representing 10% of total Google segment revenues in the fourth quarter of 2013, compared to 10% in the fourth quarter of 2012
[edited by: Leosghost at 7:34 pm (utc) on Nov 27, 2014]
It has to do with very high barriers to entry, GOOG and other companies have sly ways to prevent competition
Protectionism can also backfire. In the U.S., much of the publishing industry has been taken over by European firms. It wouldn't be too hard to imagine the U.S. Congress holding hearings about foreign-nmedia ownership and consolidation. As the expression goes,"What's good for the goose is good for the gander."
[edited by: heisje at 7:52 pm (utc) on Nov 27, 2014]
best news i've heard all day. it's just a shame that nothing will actually happen for another million billion years though, at the speed these bodies work
The European Parliament vote is about politics, pure and simple.
for my money this is just the beginning
