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France confirms that Google must remove search results globally or face big fine

5 points by happyscrappy 11y ago

rezashirazian 11y ago
It's so tempting to imagine Google just shutting down operations in France, blocking all French traffic from using its products. I wonder how CNIL would feel about its stance then.
- Nadya 11y ago
  I imagine the cost of shutting down datacenters/laying people off might even outweight paying any fines. Google would take a huge economic hit (no businesses from an entire country purchasing ads...) but I can't help but wonder if the country would take a larger economic hit than Google would. It's a very scary to know a company has that much power/control. It would be a huge economic setback for a country if Google decided to just up-and-go. Leave them with inferior search engines/products or force a population to use proxies/alternative methods to access Google at all. I don't think its a good thing when a single company could strongarm an entire government.
  - refulgentis 11y ago
    Arguably, that's exactly what happened with Google in China.
  - thykka 11y ago
    > I don't think its a good thing when a single company could strongarm an entire government. Megacorporations are beginning to have power over governments, income inequality is rising and people are becoming separated into the Haves and Have-nots, low life/high tech is already a thing, cybernetic augments are just around the corner... We live in a cyberpunk reality now.
  - Kalium 11y ago
    > I don't think its a good thing when a single company could strongarm an entire government. You know what scares me more? That a megacorp seems to care more about human rights than a first world western government that professes to obsess over them.
    - Nadya 11y ago
      Oh - and I agree there. In case my post seemed supportive of the U.K/Frances "Right to Censor Information". I don't agree with it in the slightest. From where they are trying to argue from, I can at least understand their viewpoint. I simply don't agree with it or how it is being done.

5 points by happyscrappy 11y ago

It's so tempting to imagine Google just shutting down operations in France, blocking all French traffic from using its products. I wonder how CNIL would feel about its stance then.

Nadya 11y ago
I imagine the cost of shutting down datacenters/laying people off might even outweight paying any fines. Google would take a huge economic hit (no businesses from an entire country purchasing ads...) but I can't help but wonder if the country would take a larger economic hit than Google would. It's a very scary to know a company has that much power/control. It would be a huge economic setback for a country if Google decided to just up-and-go. Leave them with inferior search engines/products or force a population to use proxies/alternative methods to access Google at all. I don't think its a good thing when a single company could strongarm an entire government.
- refulgentis 11y ago
  Arguably, that's exactly what happened with Google in China.
- thykka 11y ago
  > I don't think its a good thing when a single company could strongarm an entire government. Megacorporations are beginning to have power over governments, income inequality is rising and people are becoming separated into the Haves and Have-nots, low life/high tech is already a thing, cybernetic augments are just around the corner... We live in a cyberpunk reality now.
- Kalium 11y ago
  > I don't think its a good thing when a single company could strongarm an entire government. You know what scares me more? That a megacorp seems to care more about human rights than a first world western government that professes to obsess over them.
  - Nadya 11y ago
    Oh - and I agree there. In case my post seemed supportive of the U.K/Frances "Right to Censor Information". I don't agree with it in the slightest. From where they are trying to argue from, I can at least understand their viewpoint. I simply don't agree with it or how it is being done.