Melech 9,900 Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 BRUSSELS: A top German official called for Google to be broken up. A French minister pronounced the company a threat to his country's sovereignty. A European publishing executive likened it to a Wagnerian dragon. Across Europe, Google has been under fire, reflecting the broader challenges facing US technology companies. Google, fairly or not, has become a glaring proxy for criticism of an intrusive US government and concern over America's unmatched technology dominance. On Monday, things grew worse. Regulators pushed the company to give up more in an antitrust settlement - demanding that Google make additional changes to its secret sauce, the search algorithm. When Google initially settled with regulators in February, it emerged largely unscathed, agreeing to make modest adjustments to its search formula and avoiding a fine. Now, the deal is in jeopardy. If Google does not acquiesce, regulators could toss out the settlement and bring formal charges, which could prompt billions of dollars in penalties and major changes to its operations. The backlash in Europe extends beyond Google. Taxi drivers from London to Madrid have demonstrated against Uber, the US ride-sharing company that was recently banned in Germany. Apple and Amazon are being investigated over their tax policies and regulators are scrutinizing Facebook's proposed acquisition of WhatsApp, a messaging app. Google, with its broad reach, is arguably facing the most pressure. Accusations are mounting that Google unfairly exploits its dominant position in search, giving a competitive edge to its growing stable of businesses, like YouTube videos, its Google Play app store and its news alerts. A landmark European court ruling this year forced search providers to give the public greater sway in purging links to personal information. Its Street View cars, dispatched to scoop up data, have brought fines in France, Germany and Italy."We are afraid of Google," Mathias Dopfner, chief executive of Axel Springer, a German publishing giant, wrote in an open letter to Eric Schmidt, Google's executive chairman. "I must state this very clearly and frankly, because few of my colleagues dare do so publicly." The influence of Dopfner, who has rallied a group of publishers against the company, has risen after he played a crucial role in winning German support for Jean-Claude Juncker, the next head of the European Commission. Google has not been idle. While the company has stressed its efforts to negotiate with European regulators, it has also resorted to more familiar tactics. Since 2010, the company has tripled its lobbying budget in Brussels to as much as $2 million annually, according to public records. Google has hired political insiders, including Antoine Aubert, a former policy manager in one of the European Commission's ministries. The company has also tapped at least four outside firms to bolster its own staff of seven registered lobbyists, records show. And Google has doubled the number of outside groups it has joined to advance its interests, with some, like the European Privacy Association, drawing criticism for a lack of transparency. "We continue to work with the EC to resolve the concerns they have raised," the company said in an emailed statement about the antitrust settlement, referring to the European Commission. Over the weekend, Schmidt, in a lengthy statement responded to criticisms made by European publishers, saying it is not true that "we are promoting our own products at the expense of the competition." Much has changed since Google was founded in the late 1990s. It was once viewed as an idealistic startup whose credo was "Don't Be Evil." Now, it is under attack around the globe. Over the past year, while its search engine business was being shut off by the Chinese government, its employee buses were assailed in the Bay Area as symbols of inequality and its Google Glass was drawing fire from privacy advocates. "They're no longer seen as innocent geeks," said Thomas Tindemans, chief executive of Hill & Knowlton Strategies in Brussels. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/google-a-target-of-europes-criticism-of-us-tech-dominance/articleshow/42096178.cms Things getting really tough in the western world Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Didymus 34,380 Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Holy **** I had no idea. Thanks for sharing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goosey 3,017 Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Taxi drivers from London to Madrid have demonstrated against Uber, the US ride-sharing company that was recently banned in Germany Pressed souls The big gripe European regulators have is that they believe Google’s search algorithm plays favorites, particularly with its own properties like YouTube and Google Play It's Google search, what do you expect? Go use another search engine, it's a private company, why wouldn't they support themselves? "I am the world's greatest person that does not want to let people into the country."—US President Donald J. Trump Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Peters 10,776 Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Have luck breaking that up, lol emma roberts is an abuser Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cometoogg 0 Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 It's Google search, what do you expect? Go use another search engine, it's a private company, why wouldn't they support themselves? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Peters 10,776 Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Pressed souls It's Google search, what do you expect? Go use another search engine, it's a private company, why wouldn't they support themselves? They're getting mad at the fact that a company is promoting their own creations emma roberts is an abuser Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonsterMum 2,532 Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 You wanna make this into another US vs Europe threads I see? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melech 9,900 Posted September 9, 2014 Author Share Posted September 9, 2014 You wanna make this into another US vs Europe threads I see? Could you please explain me how and why ? I posted a neutral thread about on-going things in this world. If you are coming to "hate" on me due to my national background, please do it somewhere else since it isn't my intend to create any hateful discussion where one sides put the other sides down. Thank you :) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonsterMum 2,532 Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Could you please explain me how and why ? I posted a neutral thread about on-going things in this world. If you are coming to "hate" on me due to my national background, please do it somewhere else since it isn't my intend to create any hateful discussion where one sides put the other sides down. Thank you :) It seems like you are clearly steering the discussion into one direction with the parts that you bolded. I for example would have bolded this part, which is the part why Google has been under fire in the European Union in the first place and is the biggest contributing factor to the "fear of Google": Google has not been idle. While the company has stressed its efforts to negotiate with European regulators, it has also resorted to more familiar tactics. Since 2010, the company has tripled its lobbying budget in Brussels to as much as $2 million annually, according to public records. Google has hired political insiders, including Antoine Aubert, a former policy manager in one of the European Commission's ministries. The company has also tapped at least four outside firms to bolster its own staff of seven registered lobbyists, records show. And Google has doubled the number of outside groups it has joined to advance its interests, with some, like the European Privacy Association, drawing criticism for a lack of transparency. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garnite 8 Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 They're getting mad at the fact that a company is promoting their own creations i think it's more to do with creating a monopoly, which are highly restricted (even in the us). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melech 9,900 Posted September 9, 2014 Author Share Posted September 9, 2014 It seems like you are clearly steering the discussion into one direction with the parts that you bolded. I for example would have bolded this part, which is the part why Google has been under fire in the European Union in the first place and is the biggest contributing factor to the "fear of Google": Google has not been idle. While the company has stressed its efforts to negotiate with European regulators, it has also resorted to more familiar tactics. Since 2010, the company has tripled its lobbying budget in Brussels to as much as $2 million annually, according to public records. Google has hired political insiders, including Antoine Aubert, a former policy manager in one of the European Commission's ministries. The company has also tapped at least four outside firms to bolster its own staff of seven registered lobbyists, records show. And Google has doubled the number of outside groups it has joined to advance its interests, with some, like the European Privacy Association, drawing criticism for a lack of transparency. I didn't even made a personal statement about that subject,so how dare you to make assumptions about my opinion? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonsterMum 2,532 Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 I didn't even made a personal statement about that subject,so how dare you to make assumptions about my opinion? No you didn't have to cause the bolded parts show where your key points are. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luc 4,776 Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 I have no problem at all with Google they're simply promoting themselves in a smart way Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliLilMonster 476 Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 I don't get the problem... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursula Buffay 73 Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 Europe states bettah become American states tbh, we won't have problems anymore. Britches! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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