EU competition chief holds threat of breaking up Google

Re:EU competition chief holds threat of breaking up Google by qeternity on Monday March 26, 2018 @04:02PM (#16682002)

> Google has a strong position in the email space, but it isn't anywhere as dominant as it is with search and web advertising.

What?? The whole point of a breakup is precisely because they are dominant in all of the things you mentioned. Also, my comment is irrelevant if they actually comply with a breakup order. If they don't, and they withdraw from the EU, it doesn't matter how the breakup is structured because they cease doing business in the EU anyway.

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Re:EU competition chief holds threat of breaking up Google by dmitrygr on Monday March 26, 2018 @05:16PM (#16682676)

Spain tried it. It started with a bang like this [1] and ended with a whimper like this [2].

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/16/google-news-sp...

[2] https://techcrunch.com/2014/12/14/spanish-newspapers-want-go...

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Re:EU competition chief holds threat of breaking up Google by ocdtrekkie on Monday March 26, 2018 @05:29PM (#16682795)

I don't think a minor scuffle about Google News, a product Google's profits aren't dependent on, and user data isn't contained in, is a relevant comparison to discussion of what would happen if a search/email-level breakup was in the cards.

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Re:EU competition chief holds threat of breaking up Google by dmitrygr on Monday March 26, 2018 @06:19PM (#16683161)

I just mean that Ms. Vestager is not the only one who can play hardball or rattle sabers here. Google can and has done it in the past.

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