5 ms·

TL93M us US15M, which seems small for Google to get upset about. These measures will likely not bother anyone except consumers.

josefx 7y ago
When Google was hit with a fine in the EU for the same reason they just added a new licensing region with alternative licensing terms. It is interesting to see how Google behaves when it thinks the power balance is reversed.
- mcv 7y ago
  In other words: Google is aware it can't take on the EU, but thinks it's strong enough take on Turkey. It'll be interesting to see how this works out. I have no love for the current regime in Turkey, but I wouldn't mind seeing this blow up in Google's face. We need a more open Android.
  - cjhopman 7y ago
    In both cases Google chose to follow the law of the region. In one of those cases, it was most profitable to continue selling under the constraints imposed by the law and in the other case it wasn't profitable to do so.
    - mcv 7y ago
      It's creating a large market for Google alternatives on Android. Those alternatives are currently tiny, but might get big in Turkey, and then expand outside Turkey.
      - zmc 7y ago
        There is already a big market called China that entirely use alternative solution. I guess those company in China will be more than happy to take over once Google leave.
exikyut 7y ago
Hmmmm. $15MM USD is nothing. Initially I wondered if this was some kind of smokescreen, or a public response to some private action that wasn't liked. But thinking about it... maybe it's simpler, and Google are just unimpressed someone's having a go at them for being anticompetitive. In which case this action is very concerning, because it says "yeah, we're it and we know it. Deal with it." That has significant chilling-effect potential. Because I'm not seeing any evidence or suggestion of corruption here, but rather an interest in establishing truth.
- aksoar 7y ago
  The second option seems more likely. The more concerning thing is how Google is starting to use its power when it isn't happy with something. Google doesn't even seem to care about appearing "friendly" or harmless as it used to do. It's now acting like a king without a rival.. when it can.
  - exikyut 7y ago
    Hmm. The good thing is that this suggests they've apparently hit the complacency plateau that everybody large seems to hit that marks their modus-operandi as "set in stone". The sad thing is that they're the only company with (presumably - but if you think about it...) multiple exabytes of RAM to hold a greppable copy of the Internet in, so nobody's realistically going to beat them at the game anytime soon D: Also, I was going to say but forgot (was on mobile) - this was an anticompetitivity investigation, and that was why I said their attitude of "yes we are indeed 'it'" was so concerning. Kind of like, "whatcha gonna do about it, huh?"
    - Razengan 7y ago
      Google Search is far, far, far, FAR from a "greppable copy of the Internet in" and it keeps getting worse. It certainly doesn't seem to be difficult to imagine someone coming up with a better search engine.
      - exikyut 7y ago
tim-- 7y ago
Maybe the Turkish government could put this money into a fund that companies based there can use to create open source software to de-Google Android in response. At least no one will be able to say then that there is no competition issues. More information : https://ahvalnews.com/google/google-suspends-licences-turkey-after-fined-violating-competition-law https://ahvalnews.com/google/google-suspends-licences-turkey...
- josefx 7y ago
  You would have to force Android manufacturers to also provide Google free versions of their products. One only has to look at Microsofts history to see that backroom deals will keep alternatives of the table unless forced.
  - deogeo 7y ago
    Or the history of Android itself - Google forbade manufacturers from making competing alternatives as part of its confidential licensing agreements: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-google-antitrust/google-faces-eu-antitrust-fine-over-android-case-in-july-sources-idUSKCN1J31SP https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-google-antitrust/googl...
- zozbot234 7y ago
  The real obstacle to degoogled mobile OS's is not software (AOSP exists, pmOS will become usable soon, etc. etc.) but access to online services of all sorts. Google Play is a focal point for distributing the official "app" for your online service of choice. But if a whole country goes Google-free this can definitely change.
  - knolax 7y ago
    In practice, without access to Google Play people just use third party app stores like F-Droid or just download the apk from the web like on a normal computer. It really doesn't seem like that much of a loss for Turkey.

josefx 7y ago

When Google was hit with a fine in the EU for the same reason they just added a new licensing region with alternative licensing terms. It is interesting to see how Google behaves when it thinks the power balance is reversed.

mcv 7y ago
In other words: Google is aware it can't take on the EU, but thinks it's strong enough take on Turkey. It'll be interesting to see how this works out. I have no love for the current regime in Turkey, but I wouldn't mind seeing this blow up in Google's face. We need a more open Android.
- cjhopman 7y ago
  In both cases Google chose to follow the law of the region. In one of those cases, it was most profitable to continue selling under the constraints imposed by the law and in the other case it wasn't profitable to do so.
  - mcv 7y ago
    It's creating a large market for Google alternatives on Android. Those alternatives are currently tiny, but might get big in Turkey, and then expand outside Turkey.
    - zmc 7y ago
      There is already a big market called China that entirely use alternative solution. I guess those company in China will be more than happy to take over once Google leave.

exikyut 7y ago

Hmmmm. $15MM USD is nothing. Initially I wondered if this was some kind of smokescreen, or a public response to some private action that wasn't liked. But thinking about it... maybe it's simpler, and Google are just unimpressed someone's having a go at them for being anticompetitive. In which case this action is very concerning, because it says "yeah, we're it and we know it. Deal with it." That has significant chilling-effect potential. Because I'm not seeing any evidence or suggestion of corruption here, but rather an interest in establishing truth.

aksoar 7y ago
The second option seems more likely. The more concerning thing is how Google is starting to use its power when it isn't happy with something. Google doesn't even seem to care about appearing "friendly" or harmless as it used to do. It's now acting like a king without a rival.. when it can.
- exikyut 7y ago
  Hmm. The good thing is that this suggests they've apparently hit the complacency plateau that everybody large seems to hit that marks their modus-operandi as "set in stone". The sad thing is that they're the only company with (presumably - but if you think about it...) multiple exabytes of RAM to hold a greppable copy of the Internet in, so nobody's realistically going to beat them at the game anytime soon D: Also, I was going to say but forgot (was on mobile) - this was an anticompetitivity investigation, and that was why I said their attitude of "yes we are indeed 'it'" was so concerning. Kind of like, "whatcha gonna do about it, huh?"
  - Razengan 7y ago
    Google Search is far, far, far, FAR from a "greppable copy of the Internet in" and it keeps getting worse. It certainly doesn't seem to be difficult to imagine someone coming up with a better search engine.
    - exikyut 7y ago

tim-- 7y ago

Maybe the Turkish government could put this money into a fund that companies based there can use to create open source software to de-Google Android in response. At least no one will be able to say then that there is no competition issues. More information : https://ahvalnews.com/google/google-suspends-licences-turkey-after-fined-violating-competition-law https://ahvalnews.com/google/google-suspends-licences-turkey...

josefx 7y ago
You would have to force Android manufacturers to also provide Google free versions of their products. One only has to look at Microsofts history to see that backroom deals will keep alternatives of the table unless forced.
- deogeo 7y ago
  Or the history of Android itself - Google forbade manufacturers from making competing alternatives as part of its confidential licensing agreements: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-google-antitrust/google-faces-eu-antitrust-fine-over-android-case-in-july-sources-idUSKCN1J31SP https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-google-antitrust/googl...
zozbot234 7y ago
The real obstacle to degoogled mobile OS's is not software (AOSP exists, pmOS will become usable soon, etc. etc.) but access to online services of all sorts. Google Play is a focal point for distributing the official "app" for your online service of choice. But if a whole country goes Google-free this can definitely change.
- knolax 7y ago
  In practice, without access to Google Play people just use third party app stores like F-Droid or just download the apk from the web like on a normal computer. It really doesn't seem like that much of a loss for Turkey.