Google Sees Sweeping German Antitrust Probes Into Data Terms

Google's market power and control over users' data faces intense scrutiny in Germany as the nation's antitrust watchdog added it to the list of U.S. tech giants targeted by expanded new rules. From a report: Germany's Federal Cartel Office said Tuesday it's started two investigations under antitrust measures that allow regulators to target large digital companies that may dominate several markets. The authority will conduct an in-depth analysis of Google's data processing terms, saying the Alphabet unit enjoys a "strategic advantage" from the information it collects. Regulators also questioned whether users "have sufficient choice as to how Google will use their data."

Fucking paywall

[DarkRookie2]

Stop posting links to shit behind paywalls, unless the full article is visible. The post and article might as well not exist.

Re:

[godel_56]

Bloomberg gives you one free article a month. Have you cleared your cookies recently?

I Find It Strange

[theshowmecanuck]

That Germany will attack Google, but hold itself hostage to Putin's Russia via natural gas and oil supply. Russia will be able to exert far more negative influence on Europe this way than anything Google could do. Nullifying European influence around Ukraine and Belarus by energy intimidation is one example. Putin's East German buddy Merkel has done her job. Now she can retire.

Re:

[stikves]

The thing is, Putin can actually inflict real harm on Germany and EU. So can Belarus (energy pipelines), or Erdogan (holding back millions of Syrian refugees). That is why they tolerate and will continue to tolerate autocratic temper tantrums from those leaders.

I will not call Merkel a "buddy", but she might have chosen short term benefits over long term stability. As a politician, that could be standard operating practice.