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True but those users aren't stuck on Google and can easily move on to Google. Also why have you restricted yourself to advertising on search engines? It's like

True but those users aren't stuck on Google and can easily move on to Google. Also why have you restricted yourself to advertising on search engines? It's like complaining that if I'm advertising on basketball games and I don't have my adverts on NBA games then I'm missing out on 90% of people who watch basketball games. Should we break up the NBA? By the way, I don't mean to be argumentative. The closest reason I could comprehend is the abuse angle mentioned by tomp but I don't really see Google as being abusive as compared to say a corporation who has complete control of a natural resource and begins to set prices extremely high. Google has Search, Valve has Steam, Apple has the App Store. They developed these products, have a extremely large market share and are reaping the rewards of developing a successful product. That on its own doesn't make them a monopoly worth breaking up.

kaolinite 12y ago
This is nothing to do with the users. The entire reason this has come up is because Google is allegedly using their monopoly to place their products above the products of other companies. Users aren't locked in but website-owners/advertisers are. This is a problem they can't get away from, switching provider just isn't an option. Your NBA example doesn't really work because it's missing the abuse of power (not really sure how you could alter the analogy to fit). Talking of the App Store, if Apple had 90% of the marketshare and then started altering search results so that when you search for, say, "Microsoft Word" the first result is "Pages" instead, I'm sure the EU would have something to say about that, too. (I actually think that Apple is probably overall quite pleased that it doesn't have majority marketshare as it gives it a lot more flexibility.) By the way, I'm not saying I necessarily agree with breaking up Google but I can understand why the EU is considering this.
- xtrumanx 12y ago
  I think I've figured out the reason I don't see this the way you do; I believe Apple has the right to alter the search results of their App Store because it's their freaking store. Guess the only solution to this problem is to have some sort of legislation decreeing whether the Google's actions is legal or illegal.
  - kaolinite 12y ago
    I actually lean more towards your way of thinking - I'm just trying to explain how the EU feels and why they're doing it.

kaolinite 12y ago

This is nothing to do with the users. The entire reason this has come up is because Google is allegedly using their monopoly to place their products above the products of other companies. Users aren't locked in but website-owners/advertisers are. This is a problem they can't get away from, switching provider just isn't an option. Your NBA example doesn't really work because it's missing the abuse of power (not really sure how you could alter the analogy to fit). Talking of the App Store, if Apple had 90% of the marketshare and then started altering search results so that when you search for, say, "Microsoft Word" the first result is "Pages" instead, I'm sure the EU would have something to say about that, too. (I actually think that Apple is probably overall quite pleased that it doesn't have majority marketshare as it gives it a lot more flexibility.) By the way, I'm not saying I necessarily agree with breaking up Google but I can understand why the EU is considering this.

xtrumanx 12y ago
I think I've figured out the reason I don't see this the way you do; I believe Apple has the right to alter the search results of their App Store because it's their freaking store. Guess the only solution to this problem is to have some sort of legislation decreeing whether the Google's actions is legal or illegal.
- kaolinite 12y ago
  I actually lean more towards your way of thinking - I'm just trying to explain how the EU feels and why they're doing it.