It's so obvious now.
I understand what's going on here with Google and the EU, Google and this case, Google and that case...
People are under the impression that Google IS the internet! They don't realize that there is so much more to the internet than Google search. In fact, if you search something, and then click on the link, there's a high likely-hood that what you're seeing is NOT Google!
No one (not even Google) claims Google is the gatekeeper to the internet. No one has to get Google's permission to host sites on the Internet or to access those sites.
How is Google search anti-competitive? Do they force people to be linked ONLY from their website? Do they try to price out other FREE search sites by lowering the price of searches below fair market value? Do they collude with other big-name search engine players to force-out small mom and pop search engines? I don't think Google does ANY of that.
Instead, Google runs their own, independent search engine and allows people to use it FREE OF CHARGE (don't like google tracking you, turn on an ad blocker or use private tabs).
Now, if you are a BUSINESS that wants to benefit from Google's search services, OF COURSE you would be expected to pay! These SEO's are trying to ride the backs of Google's hard work. Sure, Google laid down the pipes, setup the infrastructure, wrote the algorithms, and hosts the content, but why can't I, an SEO, simply use all the infrastructure to make a profit? Seems like the exact case people get mad AT GOOGLE about when Google links to news article that might bypass pay walls or reduce AD revenue. If these people try to optimize a clients website to bypass the Google paywall (that is AD revenue), then why wouldn't Google also be able to block those abusive websites, just as news publishers look to block Google's access to news. OH WAIT, those companies aren't trying to block Google, they just want Google to pay them for that access.
Everyone sees Google as a giant piggy bank they can break open anytime their feelings are hurt. Well guess what people, Google isn't too big to fail. If the EU and everyone else succeeds in cutting off all possible avenues of monetization for Google's services, they're just going to go away. Then who will we complain to when our pages don't get the visits they used to, Bing? Does the disappearance of a "monopoly" automatically make the next biggest provider the new monopoly? If Android disappears, will we FINALLY be able to call Apple a monopoly?
For chrissake people, use Bing or DuckDuckGo or some non-American alternative. If Google is so evil, just STOP using it! You might be amazed what you can still do on the internet WITHOUT Google.