Google unlikely to get kid-glove treatment THIS side of pond - Euro biz players European web businesses are unlikely to give up the fight against Google's business practices, according to sources involved in the case. Reports at the weekend suggest that Google was close to reaching a closed door settlement with the FTC which would require it only to make voluntary presentational changes, and relieve it from …
... when you can leave it to someone else.
That seems to be the attitude of the authorities in the US regarding bringing the likes of Google and Microsoft to heel.
In the present case it seems that the FTC has decided to go easy on Google, perhaps because of vested interests by the White House, and is relying on the EU to hit Google where it hurts i.e. in the wallet.
It was the same with MS, it took the Samba team and FSFE aided by lawyer Carlo Piana to go to the European Court of Justice and get MS to release the documentation for SMB/CIFS. The US authorities did nothing and yet they too have benefited from SAMBA, all without lifting a finger.
Nice way to get things you want, without paying for it.
"This would lead to the embarrassing prospect of the Commission lining up in the dock alongside the US corporation"
The only choice is which US giant corporation they're seen 'lining up' with, Google or Microsoft. They might be wise to avoid being seen supporting either of them, or the botton feeders with crappy products they can't sell on their merits.
Shame they do not actually have the powers to act against Google. They are nothing but a talking shop. Data protection enforcement is done by each individual country data protection commissioner, who will have to launch their own investigations before taking Google to court, and all 27 nations will have to do it.
I suspect most commissioners will think they got better things to do, they certainly did when Google ask for feed back on their new policies.
I suspect Google and the EU commission will settle.
Why the EU commission has less barriers than the FTC did, no US constitution to beat in a right wing supreme court, I am still betting that the EU do not have the evidence to support there case, especially to do with searches. An the deal struck with the FTC sounds very similar to the rumours of the deal being negotiated between EU commission and Google.
Beer, because there nothing better to drink when watching corporations fight each other.
Yes, once the EU is done with investigating and fining Google, perhaps they could take a look at the Yellow Pages. Much worse behaviour than Google- they actually charge other companies to be indexed in their search results and don't even bother listing companies that don't pay! How is that fair?
As for the FTC, did anyone actually consider that they dropped the case because they realised they don't have any evidence?
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