Google Appeals $1.7B EU AdSense Antitrust Fine (techcrunch.com) 44
Google has filed a legal appeal against the $1.7 billion antitrust penalty the European Commission laid against on its search ad brokering business three months ago. Antitrust officials found that, in contracts with major sites between 2006 and 2016, Google included restrictive contracts that could be seen as it trying to muscle rivals out of the market. The clauses reportedly included exclusivity measures, restrictions on how sites displayed ads from Google's rivals and requirements to give its ads better visibility and more prominent placement.
From a report: Google is appealing both earlier penalties but has also made changes to how it operates Google Shopping and Android in Europe in the meanwhile, to avoid the risk of further punitive penalties. In the case of AdSense, the Commission found that between 2006 and 2016 Google included restrictive clauses in its contracts with major sites that use its ad platform which Commission's current antitrust chief, Margrethe Vestager said could only be seen as intending to keep rivals out of the market. [...] Reached for comment, a Commission spokesperson told us: "The Commission will defend its decision in Court."
From a report: Google is appealing both earlier penalties but has also made changes to how it operates Google Shopping and Android in Europe in the meanwhile, to avoid the risk of further punitive penalties. In the case of AdSense, the Commission found that between 2006 and 2016 Google included restrictive clauses in its contracts with major sites that use its ad platform which Commission's current antitrust chief, Margrethe Vestager said could only be seen as intending to keep rivals out of the market. [...] Reached for comment, a Commission spokesperson told us: "The Commission will defend its decision in Court."
Re:Money grab (Score:5, Insightful)
If you enjoy monopolies, I don't. I prefer some sort of competition.
Wanna guess why we have internet speeds beyond the gbit at less than 80 bucks over here in Europe? And pay 5 bucks a month for mobile phone service? Because we impose such "taxes" on wannabe monopolists, instead of shoving taxpayer money up their ass to solidify their stranglehold on the consumer.
Re: (Score:2)
If you only had to pay your fair share for defense
Defense from the people the US has radicalized with bombing campaigns? Or from the nation whose rise the US has funded by having its goods manufactured there? Or from the nation the US' president is apparently working for? Or did you mean all three?
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Defense from what? From the masses of refugees you caused by destabilizing whole regions? You start wars and let others deal with the fallout once you got what you wanted.
Could you pretty please stop "defending" us? We could need that breather.
Re: Money grab (Score:2)
I assure you, my brother, the average American would be delighted if our government pulled all the troops out of our overseas bases. Including Europe. We want to bring the boys home and use all that money to start rebuilding our own country.
Of course if that happened, the Euro-peon Union might have some _real_ problems with Russia. Putin clearly would like to restore the borders of the old Soviet Union. Oh well, not our problem...
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Could you first mop up after yourself before you "pull out"? Or at least before you start the next war?
Re: Money grab (Score:2)
Oh, definitely. Will be happy to repatriate all that military equipment we installed to defend Europe.
Enjoy drinking vodka for breakfast!
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Which, right or wrong, is completely separate from the valid point that networking and mobile-telecom in the U.S. is overpriced for the reasons given.
Interestingly, land-line telecom used to be a horrible mess across Europe (i.e. internationally) in the 80's and 90's. Then Europe leapfrogged with their networking and mobile telecom, and now those are awesome.
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In the 80s, a lot of telecommunication in Europe was still state-owned and state-run, mostly with an eye on the cold war and wanting crucial infrastructure like telecommunication in the hands of governments. It was horribly expensive, but resilient as all hell. We're still living off the redundancies intruduced back then.
Re: (Score:1)
What you describe isn't a libertarian reality, it's anarchy. Libertarian is letting people do what they want so long as it doesn't directly negatively impact others. You stealing from me while assaulting me would directly negatively impact me.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
This is purely a money grab "tax." EU needs money, target companies that are foreign-ish for almost standard practice in contracts. Great idea. I hope this government larger than the people crap goes away instead of getting bigger. I can't stand these people who do nothing but waste taxpayer money getting even more money.
Nah, Google is evil.
Sure, the EU mistreats foreign firms - just about everyone on Earth does that.
But Google earned this one fair and square.
So, thank you sir and may they have another.
Re: Money grab (Score:2)
There are much easier ways to "money grab" than to engage in an expensive multi-year legal process with no guarantee of winning. Were the recent US proceedings against VW a "money grab" too?
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This is purely a money grab "tax."
Yeah how dare they fine a company for breaking the law. Doesn't the EU know that companies are untouchable!
target companies that are foreign-ish for almost standard practice in contracts
If you think they just target foreigners then maybe you should stop reading just American sites. If you think what is being done is standard then there's there's really nothing that can be done to help you other than sending hopes and prayers your way that your literal corporate overloads don't screw you too much.
I hope this government larger than the people crap goes away instead of getting bigger.
I don't understand. Unless you're the government of your own house and you live by yoursel
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Fuck off with this neo-imperialistic bullshit, we don't need US "Standard Practice in Contracts" to be law in EU just because it upsets US companies doing business over here.
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Do you feel the same about the Volkswagen fines in the US? Like, are you seriously suggesting that just because a company is foreign there is no need to comply with the laws?
Come on Google, it's just your fair share (Score:3)
If we can't tax Google then be dammed we'll just fine them! - EU Bureaucracy
Re: (Score:2)
Translating: waaah waaah I don't want to pay my fair share to support the civilisation u profit so much from and come to think of it I don't even want to obey their laws.
Now kindly fuck off you miserable freeloading still
Restrictive agreements illegal (Score:1)
Restrictive agreements are in most cases illegal and in many cases have to be lodged and approved by a competition authority. /Mobile phome modems/ Google and Android.
We saw Intel/AMD and laptop makers
Enter the lawyers and they say the agreement was made 'outside' the EU or whatever, and for tax purposes, the ad was processed in some tax havenish sandwich scheme. Or its ths much if made in Italy, or this much if made in Taiwan/China, plus rebates paid to other havens.
The real questin is why competition auth
Ruling based on need (Score:1, Insightful)
Lol, G really doesn't get it, do they? (Score:2)
Appeal this fine and they'll quadruple the next one.
It's the EU, baby.