The fine is not the largest ever imposed on Google, however.
In October 2024 a charge was brought against the firm by a Russian court for restricting Russian state media channels on YouTube.
The fine was for two undecillion roubles - more than the world’s total GDP.
about 0.11% of Google (Alphabet)'s total worth.
The question is how much money did they make by using Android to block rivals. If using Android helped them make 1bn extra then this fine costs them 3bn and it doesn’t make sense from them to keep doing it. If they made 100bn than obviously they will continue.
I mean, with it they’ve managed to build a walled garden that includes the majority of every phone in the world.
We can probably assume trillions.
the price of doing business
significant investment to ensure Android remains open.
Unless you want to install apps not from the google app store. Or develop apps not for the google app store. Or use a Captcha without having google services. Or use your bank website without google services. or use the internet without chrome. or… shit, sorry, I don’t have time to list all the ways google wants the exact opposite of anything anywhere remaining “open” unless by “open” they mean “open to google’s exploitation”.
Using the internet without Chrome is basically the only thing you CAN do on Android out of this list.
…for now.
Now lets use part of that money, to fund the development of open alternatives and interoperable protocols / standards. We cannot break a duopoly, if there aren’t any alternatives, otherwise it will keep being a duopoly.
Google’s behavior in this debacle has been utterly shameful. They got caught with their dick in the pie and have spent 8 fucking years arguing that it was for the good of society.
have spent 8 fucking years arguing
Part of the plan.
