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They probably wouldn't. Do you imagine the EU would force every ISP to block Google web search, Gmail, etc? Beyond being technically difficult I do not believe

They probably wouldn't. Do you imagine the EU would force every ISP to block Google web search, Gmail, etc? Beyond being technically difficult I do not believe the EU currently has the power to create a Great Firewall of Europe like that.

rusk 8y ago
Yeah the discussion here is about smartphones ... They "could" block all import of Android based smart phones if they wished (based on noncompliance with trade rules of course). In all liklihood they'd slap a levy on these imports which would either raise their price making alternatives more interesting to the market. Android devices are dominant in the cost sensitive segment. Alternatively the manufacturers could push this back on to google or it might provide additional commercial impetus to develop a viable alternative. That's the beauty of one of the largest economies in the world singing in harmony from the same hymn-sheet. When the collective foot is stamped it echoes around the world.
- repolfx 8y ago
  The discussion was about "losing access". To do that the EU would have to impose not just tariffs but complete import bans on dozens or maybe hundreds of OEMs, many of which aren't American. It'd mean starting a phone-oriented trade war with most of the world's big economies, and handing the entire European market to Apple. But Android is much more popular than Apple phones in some EU countries (not all) mostly because it's a lot cheaper. So either a lot of Europeans would have to fork out a lot more than they wanted to for a phone, or decide they couldn't afford a smartphone at all and go back to feature phones. This is why you admit the EU would never do this. When the collective foot is stamped it echoes around the world. Very Orwellian imagery you have there. It wouldn't really echo around the world. Google wouldn't give a crap. Android was created mostly to stop Apple from gaining a monopoly and holding them over a barrel with respect to services (go read up on the origins of the project). It has wildly succeeded in that mission already. If the EU selectively taxes its own people whenever they buy an Android smartphone, this would not only hurt the EU's own popularity significantly (people love their cheap smartphones), but it wouldn't harm Google much or at all because Apple un-clenched a lot since Jobs died and iOS is a more open platform than it used to be, albeit, still nowhere near as open as Android. The rest of the world is sufficient to keep Apple in check anyway.
  - rusk 8y ago
    Losing access is a matter of degrees. It doesn't make sense for the EU to cut off access of their market to google products and services completely. > Google wouldn't give a crap LOL
    - rusk 8y ago
      > LOL Just to put this in context, the population of the EU is 508M vs e.g. the USA 325M That's an awful lot of €€€ to turn your nose up at.
xg15 8y ago
Why would the EU do that? The EU demands fines, nothing else. If Google wanted to leave the market to not pay them, it would be their job to geoblock every EU IP from using Google services.
- frockington 8y ago
  How would it be Googles responsibility? Asking nicely would only get you so far and honestly with GDPR and now this, the EU is becoming more and more of a liability
  - rusk 8y ago
    Yeah - having the state stand up for and protect your right to privacy is such a pain in the ass.
    - frockington 8y ago
      I would hate to live in such a restrictive area but that is probably more a cultural difference than anything. I'd rather have competition and innovation than security and stability. In my opinion it is the main distinguishing factor between the USA and Europe
      - rusk 8y ago
        No shortage of competition and innovation here my friend. We're having this very discussion atop the world wide web which came from CERN. There's no reason why I should have to sacrifice my privacy so that a few oligarchs can add a few more zeros to their bank accounts.
        frockington 8y ago
        All I can think of is Nokia and possibly Vodafone if those count as technology. What other big tech companies are there? Not trying to be rude, just generally curious as I don't know much about the European technology scene

rusk 8y ago

Yeah the discussion here is about smartphones ... They "could" block all import of Android based smart phones if they wished (based on noncompliance with trade rules of course). In all liklihood they'd slap a levy on these imports which would either raise their price making alternatives more interesting to the market. Android devices are dominant in the cost sensitive segment. Alternatively the manufacturers could push this back on to google or it might provide additional commercial impetus to develop a viable alternative. That's the beauty of one of the largest economies in the world singing in harmony from the same hymn-sheet. When the collective foot is stamped it echoes around the world.

repolfx 8y ago
The discussion was about "losing access". To do that the EU would have to impose not just tariffs but complete import bans on dozens or maybe hundreds of OEMs, many of which aren't American. It'd mean starting a phone-oriented trade war with most of the world's big economies, and handing the entire European market to Apple. But Android is much more popular than Apple phones in some EU countries (not all) mostly because it's a lot cheaper. So either a lot of Europeans would have to fork out a lot more than they wanted to for a phone, or decide they couldn't afford a smartphone at all and go back to feature phones. This is why you admit the EU would never do this. When the collective foot is stamped it echoes around the world. Very Orwellian imagery you have there. It wouldn't really echo around the world. Google wouldn't give a crap. Android was created mostly to stop Apple from gaining a monopoly and holding them over a barrel with respect to services (go read up on the origins of the project). It has wildly succeeded in that mission already. If the EU selectively taxes its own people whenever they buy an Android smartphone, this would not only hurt the EU's own popularity significantly (people love their cheap smartphones), but it wouldn't harm Google much or at all because Apple un-clenched a lot since Jobs died and iOS is a more open platform than it used to be, albeit, still nowhere near as open as Android. The rest of the world is sufficient to keep Apple in check anyway.
- rusk 8y ago
  Losing access is a matter of degrees. It doesn't make sense for the EU to cut off access of their market to google products and services completely. > Google wouldn't give a crap LOL
  - rusk 8y ago
    > LOL Just to put this in context, the population of the EU is 508M vs e.g. the USA 325M That's an awful lot of €€€ to turn your nose up at.

xg15 8y ago

Why would the EU do that? The EU demands fines, nothing else. If Google wanted to leave the market to not pay them, it would be their job to geoblock every EU IP from using Google services.

frockington 8y ago
How would it be Googles responsibility? Asking nicely would only get you so far and honestly with GDPR and now this, the EU is becoming more and more of a liability
- rusk 8y ago
  Yeah - having the state stand up for and protect your right to privacy is such a pain in the ass.
  - frockington 8y ago
    I would hate to live in such a restrictive area but that is probably more a cultural difference than anything. I'd rather have competition and innovation than security and stability. In my opinion it is the main distinguishing factor between the USA and Europe
    - rusk 8y ago
      No shortage of competition and innovation here my friend. We're having this very discussion atop the world wide web which came from CERN. There's no reason why I should have to sacrifice my privacy so that a few oligarchs can add a few more zeros to their bank accounts.
      - frockington 8y ago
        All I can think of is Nokia and possibly Vodafone if those count as technology. What other big tech companies are there? Not trying to be rude, just generally curious as I don't know much about the European technology scene