U.S. Government Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google for Search Engine Dominance

[Stangy123]

Googles stock was up yesterday which tells you how much weight this lawsuit actually has.

 

[lowendlinux]

How will you feel when Apple gets sued over their App Store tactics?

That'll be a wonderful day..

Here's to hoping for a Alphabet break up and new app stores for iStuff

 

[superlawyer15]

couldn’t apple be broken up into several companies the same way? Not being a smart ass, genuinely curious

they have music,tv, telecommunications, etc

No because there is plenty of healthy comparable competition in all of those areas. In music they compete with Spotify, who is larger than Apple Music. In TV they compete with Hulu and Netflix, both of which are larger than Apple TV. In telecom they compete with Samsung, Sony, Motorola, LG, etc.

What competition does Google have in search that is as large as them? No one, because they dominate over 90% of the search market.

Same thing with YouTube. That’s why similar to what happened with Bell, Google needs to be split into multiple companies so that they can be forced to compete with each other.

 

[Yammabot]

Remember when the motto used to be do no harm?

 

[PC_tech]

Actually it’s worse. At its peak, it’s estimated that I.E. had roughly 70% market share. Very dominant.

Earlier this year, Google had nearly 89% search market share. That’s insane.

This can be fixed by Apple not accepting an estimated 7 billion dollars to make Google the default and when setting up a new phone, provide users with multiple providers and Let them pick.

Actually, stop comparing a browser to a search engine...

 

[cocky jeremy]

Sorry, you're too successful so we have to sue you. Gotta love the government.

 

[panjandrum]

This is good news. Competition in a market is almost always a benefit to the consumer. But am I seeing no reference to the problem of the Google Chrome browser nearing monopoly status as a web browser? (Did I miss a reference to this?) The default status of many services (AirBnB, State Mandated Student Testing, Weebly, you name it) is now "You better switch to Chrome. Have a problem and not on Chrome? Too bad!" Most of us here lived during the period when the web was effectively broken by a single dominant browser before and I don't think we want to go back. Hopefully this is also addressed in some way. I don't know how since that's ultimately an end-user choice, but maybe something as simple as Google Chrome doesn't get bundled with any Android devices (Firefox?). Something, anything, to prevent us from getting to the point where we have one browser to rule them all.

 

[cocky jeremy]

There are other search engines (like Duck Duck Go and Bing), so I'm not sure if the DOJ has a strong case. Google is certainly the most-used search engine, but it's not as dominant as IE was back in the 90s. Most people might leave Google as the default on iPhones, but they aren't forced to.

Even if it is as dominant... people choose this on their own. It's idiotic for anyone to sue over it.

 

[bobbie424242]

No wonder Apple loves its Google and vice-versa. Both companies will collude in tandem to preserve any common interest they have. Big tech loves big tech and to maintain the status quo.
I'd really like to assist to these secret discussions between Apple and Google top execs to make these billion dollars deals. There might be interesting "rhethoric" at work in these that the public would probably love hearing.

 

[nt5672]

That would suck for the customers. Would I have to search two different services to find the site or video I want. Would you tubers have to upload their content to two different services? Would YouTube1 get some channels and youtube2 get another channels?

I remember the good days when you used to have to use the phone book and look out the window to find things. Oh my gosh do two things at a time. Guess life has gotten so much harder these days. Boo-hoo, Boo-hoo.

 

[Baron Thompson]

I’ve used Duck, duck go for years, works great. Just a slightly annoying name, especially when trying to tell friends about it.

 

[dk001]

That would suck for the customers. Would I have to search two different services to find the site or video I want. Would you tubers have to upload their content to two different services? Would YouTube1 get some channels and youtube2 get another channels?

The all new “Google Link!!!” Now you can “link” together via an app the services that used to be as one! Get it today. But wait!! With this app you also get ...... 😂😂😂😂

 

[nylonsteel]

google is part of my brain now
feels like i learned more practicle stuff from goog than my university degree
just google it
though dont like ads and agenda influenced search results

 

[bobenhaus]

Wonder if the Apple App Store execs are feeling a bit squirmy in their seats...
[/Q

Yeah all the big tech companies are getting a little worried right now. . its time to Annie up big fellas .

 

[dk001]

“Break them up”
“Break them up”

Putting aside several peculiarities about this sudden lawsuit. Did everyone chanting to have them broken up completely forget that Google already was split up??? Alphabet? What year are all these comments from?

And I don’t see why the DoJ is lashing out just at Google for their default setting on Apple devices. There are two parties in a contract. And it’s probably not like Google put a bullet to Apple’s heads to agree to it.

A bit hypocritical to mob against Google, when Apple is just as much to be blamed for supporting Google’s monopoly.

I am suspecting that this is just the first. Now that this has started, other suits will likely follow.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Um... Gopher is a protocol, not a search engine. I know, because I used it in my university days in 1991/2... and then the World Wide Web came along. But nice attempt at a flex...

I do seem to remember that. Back in the day, Archie, Veronica, Jughead... According to Wikipedia, Veronica-2 is making a comeback. With all of the internet that has come and gone, it's interesting to see some of the earlier utilities still being supported, if only partially. Using Windows 3.x, and Mosaic. Simpler times...

 

[Maconplasma]

How do you force users to choose other options? And is it protecting consumers to tell them to choose a different search engine than they would prefer?

I don't think anyone PREFERS using Google Search. It's just one of those things hammered into people's heads. I told another member that when someone recommends you to check something out on the internet they immediately by default say, "Google it". It's not because they prefer it. It's just like calling any cola COKE or calling any tissue KLEENEX. It's a learned behavior, not a preference.

 

[swingerofbirch]

I'm often pessimistic about the US, but when I try to think of what I like about my country, one thing—besides the people—are the great software companies we have. Our operating systems are the operating systems of the world. It's unusual that so much tech comes from one country with a population smaller than that of the EU for example. Google is a great American company. This is something we actually do well. I'm actually pretty far left which would ordinarily coincide with being more regulatory, but I don't see the great benefit of this. Take Google down a notch to what end? For China to come out with a competing service?

 

[Analog Kid]

I'm often pessimistic about the US, but when I try to think of what I like about my country, one thing—besides the people—are the great software companies we have. Our operating systems are the operating systems of the world. It's unusual that so much tech comes from one country with a population smaller than that of the EU for example. Google is a great American company. This is something we actually do well. I'm actually pretty far left which would ordinarily coincide with being more regulatory, but I don't see the great benefit of this. Take Google down a notch to what end? For China to come out with a competing service?

What bothers me the most is that they’re going after the beneficial part of Google, search, and completely sidestepping how tech is handling and mishandling personal data. Personally, I think that’s where the problems are but it would likely require action by the legislative branch rather than the executive branch— so much harder to make progress...

 

[I7guy]

Frankly, this entire "let's get big tech", which all started out small, is a witch hunt. I would rather our government left innovation alone and focused on other priority issues of the current time.

 

[kdarling]

Proof that bad behaviour is learned. Google used to be the good guys.

Proof that Apple is greedy and doesn't mind selling access to its customers.

With Apple, we are a product.

 

[m11rphy]

Actually it’s worse. At its peak, it’s estimated that I.E. had roughly 70% market share. Very dominant.

Earlier this year, Google had nearly 89% search market share. That’s insane.

This can be fixed by Apple not accepting an estimated 7 billion dollars to make Google the default and when setting up a new phone, provide users with multiple providers and Let them pick.

Do you not think 89% of iPhone users would pick google. Ordinary people dont search the we they google stuff. People will always pick google and thats why apple might as we get paid for it in their eyes

 

[H2SO4]

I honestly always found it odd that Apple puts such a large emphasis on privacy (literally creating ads saying what happens on iPhone stays on iPhone) and yet every spotlight search or Siri query you perform that it can't interpret gets sent straight to Google.

If Apple were serious about our privacy this is one of the major parts they should alter. Create your own search engine or buy one and bring it in-house with the same privacy focus as other aspects of the operating system.

Also I knew Apple was getting paid but for it to be 8-12 billion which is 15-20% of Apple's net income worldwide .. that's insanely high and I can see why our privacy means nothing when you look at these numbers.

I think they call it a double standard. There are plenty of Apple fanatics on here that suffer the same affliction.

 

[H2SO4]

Do you not think 89% of iPhone users would pick google. Ordinary people dont search the we they google stuff. People will always pick google and thats why apple might as we get paid for it in their eyes

They don't have the courage of their convictions, privacy isn't as important to them as they would have you think. Do I blame them?
Not really.

 

[m11rphy]

They don't have the courage of their convictions, privacy isn't as important to them as they would have you think. Do I blame them?
Not really.

I could be wrong but I was under the impression that google gets less analytics from safari than other browsers, additionally the fact 90% of people will want google as their defaults, can you imagine the moaning and complaining from ordinary people if it wasn't the default. So if you apple you might as well get paid for it right.