Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a public utility

Re:Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a... by SilverRed on Tuesday June 08, 2021 @07:11PM (#27442286)

>You can find a smartphone for under 250 at any phone store.

These phones all run android or have no features which are required in the modern age. The OP point is that avoiding google is a privilege many do not have.

>Small business are finding success through facebook

Your competitors are advertising on facebook and google. If you want to compete you have no choice but to do both.

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Re:Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a... by ipaddr on Tuesday June 08, 2021 @09:13PM (#27443100)

I have no idea where you get the type of iphone you describe online for $250.00. If I was an apple guy I would want to buy new and pay full price so apple had more money to make the products I love.

I didn't upgrade since 2013, and since getting my new phone I found no new features important or even that useful. Having more memory allowed me to download more. Bigger screen doesn't fit in the pocket. Features like split screen or shake twice for the camera ti show up or the new ways to lock and unlock your phone don't really matter.

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Re:Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a... by SilverRed on Tuesday June 08, 2021 @09:22PM (#27443161)

This is exactly the point. There is no $250 iphone. So unless you can afford a much more expensive phone, your only option is a privacy invasive google phone.

Being able to chose not to use google is a luxury here. Therefor google is a monopoly for these low income people and also a utility since having a phone and the services that come with it are essential.

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Re:Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a... by whynaut on Tuesday June 08, 2021 @07:48PM (#27442551)

> Your competitors are advertising on facebook and google. If you want to compete you have no choice but to do both.

My intuition is this is not a meaningful factor for a locally-focused business.

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Re:Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a... by SilverRed on Tuesday June 08, 2021 @08:03PM (#27442653)

And if you are bigger than local it doesn't matter if you are forced to do business with google? It's pretty easy to come up with a number of ways people are forced to use google products and how they should be treated different to small services.

Right now it would be completely within googles right to block an individual from using youtube at all. You would have no legal recourse against this and it would massively impact your life. Almost all video on the web is on youtube. Even government information videos are hosted on youtube now as well as countless general information videos and health/safety videos.

It's pretty easy to make a case that everyone should have a right to watch videos on youtube because of how important the content on youtube is. This is what making google a utility means. If some random forum bans you, you get on with your life. If Google does something it can have serious impacts on your life where you have no options for alternatives.

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Re:Ohio sues Google, seeks to declare the internet company a... by anfilt on Thursday June 10, 2021 @10:01AM (#27460867)

The pine phone is under 250 dollars, and runs Linux. Although, you have the issue of if some service are accessible via an app on iOS or Android.

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