€2,420 million fine

[caballero]

€2,420 million fine from the European Union to Google for abuse of dominant position.

I wonder what politicians are going to do with that money. Will they distributed it in bonuses between themselves?

Microsoft dominated with its search engine and, however, came Google and overruled it. Is this regulation really necessary? Who regulates the regulator?

What if Google now would fire its employees in Europe to adjust its spending?

[hutch--]

I have much the same comment, a grubby grab for money by the EU trying to extend its powers. They tried to force a levy for any airline that did not comply with their emission laws but the big players, US, China etc ... told them to "get stuffed" and they gave up on the idea. I support any country that wants to escape from the clutches of the EU.

[jj2007]

Donald Dumb strikes back: Volkswagen to pay $2.8-billion criminal fine in U.S. diesel emissions scandal

Here is the latest Golf Diesel model in action:

[Siekmanski]

I'm thinking of emigrating to Norway. 

[nidud]

deleted

[aw27]

What if Google now would fire its employees in Europe to adjust its spending?

They are making no favour to Europe.
I really hate Google's nosey spirit and have no doubt they are just another from a vast plethora of CIA/NSA front ends set up to sniff everything no matter where and what.   :(
 

[Siekmanski]

- we pay more per capita to the union than any other member state
- we have to comply to all rules and regulation from the union without having a vote

I didn't know that, I thought the Norwegians were the last free people of Europe.

[nidud]

deleted

[hutch--]

I am with AW on this one, large American corporations cannot be trusted. Endless scraping any information they can for both their own advertising revenue AND keeping the NSA/CIA/Homeland Security happy by kissing their arse. Microsoft I am used to but recently setting up this tablet I have been playing with, you had to keep fighting off the number of attempts to extract ever more information out of you.

[caballero]

Don't we like it? Let's make something better, or at least don't we use it... if we can

[aw27]

Don't we like it? Let's make something better, or at least don't we use it... if we can

The search engine has some value in spite of the biaised results. But this is only the candy face of a monster that may know more about you than your best friends.  :shock:

[jj2007]

I am with AW on this one, large American corporations cannot be trusted. Endless scraping any information they can for both their own advertising revenue AND keeping the NSA/CIA/Homeland Security happy

Agreed. It seems that the EU is trying to show their teeth, in view of the Volkswagen scandal an interesting move. A trade war? Who knows...

The main point with privacy IMHO is that you and I couldn't care less: There are so many terabytes of crappy data around that nobody can handle that. We are just not interesting enough to justify a look by a human eye. But beware if anybody shows "potential", be it as a CEO or as a politician. As soon as Big Brother wants to know details about one single person among the 8,000,000,000 Earth Citizens, that person is in trouble. They will always find some nasty detail, just watch how they dissect the candidates for a judge's post in the U.S. Supreme Court. I bet all of them can be blackmailed, and will obey to the orders.

[mineiro]

hello nidud;
From what I know about your country is that you guys pay a lot of taxes but this payment come back to you citzens, so you have security, health, good educational system, transport system, ... . Is this right?
On my country we work 4 months by year just to pay taxes (like your country?) but that money don't come back, simple disappear. This can work on your country because have a solid liberal economy, well, with stable economy and government agencies you can also be anarcosocialist that will work, even anarcocapitalist.

Who regulates the regulator?

Nobody caballero;
Against a global goverment don't have anyone to help. The only solution is ask for exile to moon.
That's why I look strange to global warm. If your country cannot produce energy to sell or produce more, your country will never evolute., and if don't have a steel industry, more poor will be. Look for CERN, who you will think that will have infinite energy? Spain? Portugal? Norway?, no, will be germany, south korea, usa, china and russia. Well, my heros from any side (right or left) died of overdose.
This is not the end, let's open other countries barrier with "open society", this way we can enter that country and have more rights than guys that build that country. If that country don't like us so we crack their economy (metacracker) I don't like "reality cracking", I prefer "imaginarium crack" just to reach reality. And this go on with Unesco, UN (global legistative), ... .

[aw27]

On my country we work 4 months by year just to pay taxes (like your country?) but that money don't come back, simple disappear.

In Portugal we may work more than 6 months for the taxes, mostly to pay for the civil servant clerks that earn 1.8 times more than employees in the private sector with similar jobs.

[aw27]

On my country we work 4 months by year just to pay taxes (like your country?) but that money don't come back, simple disappear.

In Portugal we may work more than 6 months for the taxes, mostly to pay for the civil servant clerks, in strong unions commanded by the communists, that earn 1.8 times more than employees in the private sector with similar jobs.