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Google was evil even in 2010. For example, in 2007 Google actively conspired with Apple to illegally fix wages industry wide, concealing their activity, and usi
by nullc 3y ago
Google was evil even in 2010. For example, in 2007 Google actively conspired with Apple to illegally fix wages industry wide, concealing their activity, and using the threat of spurious patent litigation to force hesitant executives into their illegal collusion.
Even though I didn't work at one of the colluding companies, I got a ~20% step function in my income when the collusion finally collapsed and wages became more competitive across the industry. Considering indirect effects like this, the amounts stolen from workers in related industry probably amounted to hundreds of billions of dollars.
- mariusor 3y agoComplaining about the level of compensation at Google and Apple (even as far back as 15 years ago) feels like a very, _very_ first world problem.
- greenyoda 3y agoRegardless of how much the employees were being paid, CEOs colluding with each other to not recruit employees from each other was a blatant violation of US anti-trust law.
- nullc 3y agoI guess "Do the right thing" means that robbery is fine so long as you choose the right victims. The theft by google and apple had effects broadly in the economy, far outside of the colluding companies.
- Terr_ 3y agoPerhaps, but "first world problems" can still kick off other problems for everyone else down the line. If you hold down the wages of of the top 10% of laborers, then the next 10% have a harder time getting raises too, etc. In addition, if those systems of collusion become established, they're a strong profit-motive to gradually expand how many workers are being harmed.
- greenyoda 3y ago> in 2007 Google actively conspired with Apple to illegally fix wages industry wide... For those who don't remember this, here's Wikipedia's article on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-Tech_Employee_Antitrust_Litigation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-Tech_Employee_Antitrust_L...