4 ms·

If you have offices in Europe it is. They can always fine you it is too expensive to comply, or until you close your offices and end your corporate entity ther

by prewett 11y ago

If you have offices in Europe it is. They can always fine you it is too expensive to comply, or until you close your offices and end your corporate entity there.

mikeash 11y ago
This is why I don't understand why people think these countries are overstepping. It's not like they're forcing total outsiders to do their bidding. Google set up offices all over the place, and, surprise! Now they're beholden to the local authorities. If you only want to be subject to the authority of one jurisdiction, make sure your company doesn't have a presence anywhere else. That's not a guarantee, but it helps a lot.
- Me1000 11y ago
  Perhaps slightly ironic in this case, but one big reason for a company to have an office in another country is for political influence.
  - mikeash 11y ago
    Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas. Don't be surprised when things work in the other direction!
- pgodzin 11y ago
  Google doesn't have a problem being subject to multiple jurisdictions, just as an American company it reasonably doesn't want to apply French law outside France's jurisdiction.
  - mikeash 11y ago
    And France reasonably wants French law to apply to a company with French presence. One can debate the merits of the law all day long, but in the end all that matters is that a national government is sovereign within their own territory. If they want you to do something that you don't want to do, you can remove yourself from their jurisdiction, change their mind somehow, or do it anyway.
Oletros 11y ago
To comply according to EU jusrisdiction
jfoutz 11y ago
Pretty sure whack a mole works at the corporate level as well. If anyone is in position to form a specific subsidiary for each employee, service, and computer it's google. I'm sure everyone would hate such a bureaucratic nightmare, but if governments want Kafkaesque structure, well, they'll eventually get it. Even with super helpful full disclosure, it could take years just to find the legal entity they're interested in fining. But nobody wants that. it's stupid. I kinda sorta see the point about people in .fr can see stuff via .com that the government doesn't want them to see, but it sure seems like trying to legislate no rain on saturday.
- threeseed 11y ago
  Be serious. Google isn't going to pervert a host countries laws especially not France which is one of the gatekeepers of the EU. Plus France would know lots of subsidiaries were being created and just implement additional safeguards. Google is carefully taking a stand here.

by prewett 11y ago

If you have offices in Europe it is. They can always fine you it is too expensive to comply, or until you close your offices and end your corporate entity there.

mikeash 11y ago

This is why I don't understand why people think these countries are overstepping. It's not like they're forcing total outsiders to do their bidding. Google set up offices all over the place, and, surprise! Now they're beholden to the local authorities. If you only want to be subject to the authority of one jurisdiction, make sure your company doesn't have a presence anywhere else. That's not a guarantee, but it helps a lot.

Me1000 11y ago
Perhaps slightly ironic in this case, but one big reason for a company to have an office in another country is for political influence.
- mikeash 11y ago
  Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas. Don't be surprised when things work in the other direction!
pgodzin 11y ago
Google doesn't have a problem being subject to multiple jurisdictions, just as an American company it reasonably doesn't want to apply French law outside France's jurisdiction.
- mikeash 11y ago
  And France reasonably wants French law to apply to a company with French presence. One can debate the merits of the law all day long, but in the end all that matters is that a national government is sovereign within their own territory. If they want you to do something that you don't want to do, you can remove yourself from their jurisdiction, change their mind somehow, or do it anyway.

Oletros 11y ago

To comply according to EU jusrisdiction

jfoutz 11y ago

Pretty sure whack a mole works at the corporate level as well. If anyone is in position to form a specific subsidiary for each employee, service, and computer it's google. I'm sure everyone would hate such a bureaucratic nightmare, but if governments want Kafkaesque structure, well, they'll eventually get it. Even with super helpful full disclosure, it could take years just to find the legal entity they're interested in fining. But nobody wants that. it's stupid. I kinda sorta see the point about people in .fr can see stuff via .com that the government doesn't want them to see, but it sure seems like trying to legislate no rain on saturday.

threeseed 11y ago
Be serious. Google isn't going to pervert a host countries laws especially not France which is one of the gatekeepers of the EU. Plus France would know lots of subsidiaries were being created and just implement additional safeguards. Google is carefully taking a stand here.