6 ms·

Just got me thinking - how does such an amount get actually transferred from company to state (EU) coffers? Do they wire it in parts from their presumably mult

Just got me thinking - how does such an amount get actually transferred from company to state (EU) coffers? Do they wire it in parts from their presumably multiple accounts in various banks? Which entity do they send it to? Does the fine allow paying it in installments? How does it pass AML clearance? And what happens should they theoretically fail to pay? Does law enforcement show up at their door? Does a collection agency handle it?

amelius 4y ago
I assume the paying party will be creative about it. The fine is probably paid in Play Store vouchers.
- pieter_mj 4y ago
  More abandoned projects. Keep an eye on Google Graveyard : https://killedbygoogle.com/ https://killedbygoogle.com/
aurora72 4y ago
Better question: Is it paid at all?
- amelius 4y ago
  Google probably knows exactly which public servant is responsible for keeping track of the money ...
the_cramer 4y ago
Another question: what is done with this money?
- mtmail 4y ago
  I assume it's similar to the Microsoft case https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Corp._v._Commission https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Corp._v._Commission "The fines will not be distributed to the companies that lost income due to Microsoft practices. The money paid in fines to the European Court goes back into the EU budget" 2019 EU's budget was 148m EUR. Budget overall is used for a mix of growth (e.g. building bridges or other infracstructure), security (border patrol), regional help (e.g. after wildfires). They do a lot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budget_of_the_European_Union#Expenditure https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budget_of_the_European_Union#E...
  - solstice 4y ago
    148 Billion euros
    - mburee 4y ago
      The number in the article does look a little weird, XXX.XXX millions
      - hnfong 4y ago
        The thousands separator in many places in Europe is a dot. See eg. https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19455-01/806-0169/overview-9/index.html https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19455-01/806-0169/overview-9/ind...
  - Bilal_io 4y ago
    The number seems low and I am curious, does that $148B include military spendings? Or does each state contribute with their military separate from monetary contributions to run the EU?
    - _djo_ 4y ago
      No, this is the budget for the European Union's funds and institutions only. It's separate from the national budgets of its member states although it's funded out of them with each country contributing proportionately. Military spending and the maintenance of armed is still an exclusive competence of member states and will likely remain so even as there's more integration of rapid intervention and peacekeeping HQs within the EU. Total defence spending across the entire EU is around €200 billion. The €148 billion does include a security and defence budget of around €44 billion a year, most of which goes to a joint R&D fund (European Defence Fund), the European Peace Facility, and agencies like Europol and Frontex.
formerkrogemp 4y ago
> And what happens should they theoretically fail to pay? They pay more or lose access to billions in sales. It's both as complicated and as simple as that.
DisjointedHunt 4y ago
I'd ship it in pennies if it were up to me. And lobby the US government for a special issue penny that carries a 99% tax when used. The EU can suck it.
- illuminati1911 4y ago
  Lol. They have probably defined how to money is to be sent to them. Even if they had not it's probably better to stfu and comply. More your try to fuck with the regulators, more they will punish you.
  - DisjointedHunt 4y ago
    If you really took that comment seriously, you have bigger problems to worry about. Speculating that this did seriously play out and you "fuck with the regulators, they punish you", is that really the accepted cultural take in Europe? I mean, sure, there is a common sense level of decency in dealing with regulators and not making them madder than need be, but take a look at the United States. A regulator may try asserting more power than they possess and the courts offer a system to at least challenge it and have these excesses checked. I suppose the point of my comical take was the idea of challenging an unjust ruling by entities with a noted history of hostility toward US tech firms. Trump went aggressive on the EU and threatened to sanction the fuck out of the union if they hit the tech firms or Boeing with fines. There's always a bigger fish in the pond. The regulators themselves can play this game given Europes historical economic position, but when tech companies deemed important to US national security and honestly scientific progress around the world are put at threat by the squabbling in Brussels, you can bet a stern response from the US will be taken seriously.
    - IanCal 4y ago
      > Speculating that this did seriously play out and you "fuck with the regulators, they punish you", is that really the accepted cultural take in Europe? Yes? Regulators are there to stop companies abusing their powers. > A regulator may try asserting more power than they possess and the courts offer a system to at least challenge it and have these excesses checked. Legally challenging a regulator within the system is not "fucking with the regulators". We're already talking about an appeal, and there may be another level of appeals to this. It's not a regulator running wild. > I suppose the point of my comical take was the idea of challenging an unjust ruling by entities with a noted history of hostility toward US tech firms. Trump went aggressive on the EU and threatened to sanction the fuck out of the union if they hit the tech firms or Boeing with fines. It feels weird that you think an appropriate response to a company fined for breaking the rules and being anti-competitive is political threats and sanctions. > scientific progress around the world are put at threat by the squabbling in Brussels I'm not really sure that google forcibly stopping manufacturers from making phones with non-google-approved android installed is key scientific progress.
throw_a_grenade 4y ago
Simple wire transfer. Some time later they (or their lawyers) will get a letter with IBAN number (idk about curia.eu, but in Poland the account would be in central bank). Also a wire title which they need to add to wire order so the transfers can be identified. It doesn't need to be a single transfer, but all of them need to arrive before stated date. Again idk about this particular court, but also in Poland (and I expect most EU countries) they're also allowed to pay at the counter with a "legal tender" (cash and some limited legal papers like promissiory note), that is, they're free to dump truckload of coins at the main entrance, should they procure such an amount. Over here people do it sometimes to vent themselves if they loose a case. Typically police will get called, but it's the cashier's job description to count the money, and they can't require extra payment for that, so in extreme cases the office gets locked for a whole day.
- kwhitefoot 4y ago
  > they're free to dump truckload of coins at the main entrance, Probably not. I suspect that most countries allow creditors to refuse payment in large quantities of coins or notes. Certainly the UK does.
PeterisP 4y ago
> And what happens should they theoretically fail to pay? Does law enforcement show up at their door? Does a collection agency handle it? Court-assigned fines to the government generally get collected by the internal revenue service, not a collection agency; but the standard means if they do not comply does not involve law enforcement showing up at their door but the starting point is letters to all the banks to seize any current and incoming funds, if that is not sufficient, followed by seizure and auction of any real assets (e.g. buildings) - but since the described amount is roughly what Google earns from EU in a single month, simply seizing that sales revenue would be enough.

amelius 4y ago

I assume the paying party will be creative about it. The fine is probably paid in Play Store vouchers.

pieter_mj 4y ago
More abandoned projects. Keep an eye on Google Graveyard : https://killedbygoogle.com/ https://killedbygoogle.com/

aurora72 4y ago

Better question: Is it paid at all?

amelius 4y ago
Google probably knows exactly which public servant is responsible for keeping track of the money ...

the_cramer 4y ago

Another question: what is done with this money?

mtmail 4y ago
I assume it's similar to the Microsoft case https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Corp._v._Commission https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Corp._v._Commission "The fines will not be distributed to the companies that lost income due to Microsoft practices. The money paid in fines to the European Court goes back into the EU budget" 2019 EU's budget was 148m EUR. Budget overall is used for a mix of growth (e.g. building bridges or other infracstructure), security (border patrol), regional help (e.g. after wildfires). They do a lot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budget_of_the_European_Union#Expenditure https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budget_of_the_European_Union#E...
- solstice 4y ago
  148 Billion euros
  - mburee 4y ago
    The number in the article does look a little weird, XXX.XXX millions
    - hnfong 4y ago
      The thousands separator in many places in Europe is a dot. See eg. https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19455-01/806-0169/overview-9/index.html https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19455-01/806-0169/overview-9/ind...
- Bilal_io 4y ago
  The number seems low and I am curious, does that $148B include military spendings? Or does each state contribute with their military separate from monetary contributions to run the EU?
  - _djo_ 4y ago
    No, this is the budget for the European Union's funds and institutions only. It's separate from the national budgets of its member states although it's funded out of them with each country contributing proportionately. Military spending and the maintenance of armed is still an exclusive competence of member states and will likely remain so even as there's more integration of rapid intervention and peacekeeping HQs within the EU. Total defence spending across the entire EU is around €200 billion. The €148 billion does include a security and defence budget of around €44 billion a year, most of which goes to a joint R&D fund (European Defence Fund), the European Peace Facility, and agencies like Europol and Frontex.

formerkrogemp 4y ago

> And what happens should they theoretically fail to pay? They pay more or lose access to billions in sales. It's both as complicated and as simple as that.

DisjointedHunt 4y ago

I'd ship it in pennies if it were up to me. And lobby the US government for a special issue penny that carries a 99% tax when used. The EU can suck it.

illuminati1911 4y ago
Lol. They have probably defined how to money is to be sent to them. Even if they had not it's probably better to stfu and comply. More your try to fuck with the regulators, more they will punish you.
- DisjointedHunt 4y ago
  If you really took that comment seriously, you have bigger problems to worry about. Speculating that this did seriously play out and you "fuck with the regulators, they punish you", is that really the accepted cultural take in Europe? I mean, sure, there is a common sense level of decency in dealing with regulators and not making them madder than need be, but take a look at the United States. A regulator may try asserting more power than they possess and the courts offer a system to at least challenge it and have these excesses checked. I suppose the point of my comical take was the idea of challenging an unjust ruling by entities with a noted history of hostility toward US tech firms. Trump went aggressive on the EU and threatened to sanction the fuck out of the union if they hit the tech firms or Boeing with fines. There's always a bigger fish in the pond. The regulators themselves can play this game given Europes historical economic position, but when tech companies deemed important to US national security and honestly scientific progress around the world are put at threat by the squabbling in Brussels, you can bet a stern response from the US will be taken seriously.
  - IanCal 4y ago
    > Speculating that this did seriously play out and you "fuck with the regulators, they punish you", is that really the accepted cultural take in Europe? Yes? Regulators are there to stop companies abusing their powers. > A regulator may try asserting more power than they possess and the courts offer a system to at least challenge it and have these excesses checked. Legally challenging a regulator within the system is not "fucking with the regulators". We're already talking about an appeal, and there may be another level of appeals to this. It's not a regulator running wild. > I suppose the point of my comical take was the idea of challenging an unjust ruling by entities with a noted history of hostility toward US tech firms. Trump went aggressive on the EU and threatened to sanction the fuck out of the union if they hit the tech firms or Boeing with fines. It feels weird that you think an appropriate response to a company fined for breaking the rules and being anti-competitive is political threats and sanctions. > scientific progress around the world are put at threat by the squabbling in Brussels I'm not really sure that google forcibly stopping manufacturers from making phones with non-google-approved android installed is key scientific progress.

throw_a_grenade 4y ago

Simple wire transfer. Some time later they (or their lawyers) will get a letter with IBAN number (idk about curia.eu, but in Poland the account would be in central bank). Also a wire title which they need to add to wire order so the transfers can be identified. It doesn't need to be a single transfer, but all of them need to arrive before stated date. Again idk about this particular court, but also in Poland (and I expect most EU countries) they're also allowed to pay at the counter with a "legal tender" (cash and some limited legal papers like promissiory note), that is, they're free to dump truckload of coins at the main entrance, should they procure such an amount. Over here people do it sometimes to vent themselves if they loose a case. Typically police will get called, but it's the cashier's job description to count the money, and they can't require extra payment for that, so in extreme cases the office gets locked for a whole day.

kwhitefoot 4y ago
> they're free to dump truckload of coins at the main entrance, Probably not. I suspect that most countries allow creditors to refuse payment in large quantities of coins or notes. Certainly the UK does.

PeterisP 4y ago

> And what happens should they theoretically fail to pay? Does law enforcement show up at their door? Does a collection agency handle it? Court-assigned fines to the government generally get collected by the internal revenue service, not a collection agency; but the standard means if they do not comply does not involve law enforcement showing up at their door but the starting point is letters to all the banks to seize any current and incoming funds, if that is not sufficient, followed by seizure and auction of any real assets (e.g. buildings) - but since the described amount is roughly what Google earns from EU in a single month, simply seizing that sales revenue would be enough.