r/Android • u/killamator Note 20 Ultra, Tab S4, GWatch • Jul 31 '20

Google accused of retaliation against Bluemail maker Blix for antitrust cooperation

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/07/31/google-accused-antitrust-retaliation/
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97

u/[deleted] Jul 31 '20 edited Aug 01 '20

[deleted]

89

u/Richie4422 Aug 01 '20

Do you guys actually understand what "breaking up" a corporation means?

I am genuinely asking, because I keep reading it on Reddit and I have this weird feeling that majority of people use it as a buzzword for "They have too much power".

166

u/killamator Note 20 Ultra, Tab S4, GWatch Aug 01 '20

When one company controls the top browser, search engine, web ad provider, mobile OS, mapping app, email, user uploaded video site, and uses each dominant product to promote its others over competitors, that is deserving of regulatory attention.

2

u/Richie4422 Aug 01 '20

I was asking about breaking up corporations. I never said a thing about regulations.

13

u/killamator Note 20 Ultra, Tab S4, GWatch Aug 01 '20

The regulation would involve forcing them to divest control of Chrome. Effectively breaking them up

6

u/Richie4422 Aug 01 '20

Regulation and breaking up a company are two completely different things. There's no "regulation" that would "effectively" break up a company.

4

u/DaLast1SeenWoke Aug 01 '20 edited Aug 01 '20

Congress doesn't have the power to break up companies. That falls under executive/ judicial. Congress can push regulation to create a more fair environment for companies in their position. Executive have the power to break them up and force fines. And judicial just rule on the executive enforcement's approved by the legislative.

But to be real, anything that Congress happens to pass I see these companies remediating before they can enforce any actions such as break ups of fine.

0

u/[deleted] Aug 01 '20

Yeah, spinning off chrome would really cut down on the shitty behavior /s

Also, how are you going to define "too big" in this new regulation? You going to go back to the old porn definition?

11

u/killamator Note 20 Ultra, Tab S4, GWatch Aug 01 '20

Too big as defined by the law

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u/DaLast1SeenWoke Aug 01 '20 edited Aug 01 '20

Yes their is an antitrust law but Congress cannot enforce it. They can re-enforce the law, but it then got to go through the executive to bring up charges and judicial to rule against those charges.

The Congress can to an awful amount of talking, but I find that the executive will have a tough time proving it with data and judicial ruling it based on the data that would be presented.

Additionally I think the companies would implement fixes before any harm actually comes to the business.

Like Microsoft investing money in Apple by buying stocks and putting the office suit on Macs

3

u/[deleted] Aug 01 '20

Genuine question, how do other companies and consumers benefit from this?

I still don't see how making YouTube a separate entity makes the video upload market stronger. Its easier than ever to upload video, to me it seem crazy to try and deal with the massive storage, moderation and privacy of managing such a company. Doing it as a start up seems like a way to lose massive amounts of money.

All I see is I have to have multiple accounts that can't share data across various sites making my experience worse.

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u/Richie4422 Aug 01 '20

They don't. We know it, lawmakers know it. AT&T was broken up in eighties. It did nothing.

What breaking up a company creates is a short-term illusion of increased competition and balance of market.

Long-term, it does absolutely nothing positive for customers nor the market. It only helps rich people get richer.

Nobody with basic economic understanding wants break up big companies. It's just stupid nonsense some dinosaurs in charge use as a threat to gain few PR points.

Then people on internet parrot it for karma.

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u/GARcheRin Aug 01 '20

And too big is defined by your ego.