Google reportedly offered Android changes to EU in 2017
The European Union may have characterized its $5 billion Android antitrust fine as punishment for an intransigent Google, but the practical reality might be different. Bloomberg sources have claimed that Google offered to make changes to its Android policies in August 2017, not long after it received an EU antitrust penalty for its product search practices. Although Google didn't dive into specifics, it had offered to "loosen restrictions" in Android contracts and had considered distributing its apps in "two different ways."
The EU wasn't having it, according to the sources. Officials reportedly said only that a settlement was "no longer an option," and that Google's offer was "too little too late."
Also at Business Insider and BGR.
Previously: EU Fines Google $5 Billion for Android Antitrust Violations
(Score: 3, Insightful) by c0lo on Tuesday July 24 2018, @09:55AM (8 children)
Blu-bloody-hoo, cry me a river.
Just in case the memory is failing, another one tried the same tactics some 20 years ago [wikipedia.org]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 4, Insightful) by zocalo on Tuesday July 24 2018, @10:16AM (7 children)
Oh, well, I guess Google will now carry out their threats on free Android licensing (at least in the EU) and provide an alternative option to pay some nominal license fee instead for those that want access to Google's store without having to bundle all Google's apps. Kind of like "Windows 7 N edition" I'm not expected too many takers, although I can maybe see some of the higher end phones going for it - I doubt whatever price tag Google is going to put on not having access to as much of an individual user's data is going to make much difference when those people are already paying out upwards of €500 for a high-end phone.
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday July 24 2018, @10:30AM (5 children)
I'm thinking to uninstall GooglePlay on my stock Pixel**. You reckon I'll be successful?
---
** I bought it money down from an electronics retailer, the phone company never touched it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2, Disagree) by zocalo on Tuesday July 24 2018, @10:46AM (2 children)
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 24 2018, @03:18PM (1 child)
> both Apple and Microsoft (because of Surface) need to be getting their legal ducks in a row because it seems highly likely they'll be next up for making a contribution to the EU's budget for similar own-brand limitations.
Unlike Google, Microsoft and Apple make their own devices -- and no-one else does. There are no Samsung iPhones or LG Surfaces. So this...
> Google's practice of insisting that vendors include a suite of Google's apps as a condition of being able to access the Google store
... does not apply.
(Score: 2) by zocalo on Tuesday July 24 2018, @05:37PM
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 24 2018, @12:13PM
sure: https://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel/development [xda-developers.com]
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday July 24 2018, @05:54PM
Sort of. IIRC you can throw LineageOS on there so go for it.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 3, Informative) by MostCynical on Tuesday July 24 2018, @10:33AM
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/23/how-google-controls-androids-open-source [theguardian.com]
Anyone cam do anything, if they have enough money to pay all the licenses, certfications and fees..
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex