You may recall that Alphabet is currently under investigation in the United States and that a potential breakup of the company is looming over the company’s head.
Suggestions include selling of Google Chrome and Android, or separating the ad business are all on the table.
The Verge reports that Alphabet has made a counteroffer. Clearly, the company does not want a splitting-up. The counteroffer does not include the splitting up of any company services or products.
Instead, Alphabet suggests the following remedies:
- Browser companies should get more flexibility and the ability to change default providers every 12 month period.
- Android device makers should also get more flexibility and options to preload any apps.
The first suggestion affects Mozilla and Apple for the most part. Both have search deals in place with Google that give them millions or billions each year for making Google Search the default search engine on their respective platforms.
With Google’s suggestions, Mozilla could sign search engine deals for different platforms. It might not be that beneficial to Mozilla, however, as there are not many search engine companies out there with the financial power to agree to deals.
In fact, Microsoft with its Bing search engine may be the only one that might be a potential partner.
To make matters worse, it may also give Google more of a bargaining chip when brokering deals with the organization.
For Android, device manufacturers would have more freedom to launch their devices with multiple search engines or apps. Google is enforcing certain rules right now, if device manufacturers want to include the company’s apps on their devices.
Closing Words
Google would retain control over all of its properties, if its proposed remedies would be found acceptable. Chrome or ads, for instance, are not even mentioned by Google.
What do you think of this? Should Alphabet be broken up? Feel free to leave a comment down below.
Because it worked so well last time right? (Sarcasm)
Do some research on “Breakup of the Bell System”.
Short version, they broke up the company into smaller pieces which then merged with each other and eventually became controlled by a few large companies all working together while appearing to the public to be in competition.
In the long run, profits and consumer costs rose and instead of a monopoly we now have a oligopoly.
I think they should all be broken up. It’s now impossible to watch a youtube video while using a VPN because the message which reads: “Sign-in to confirm you’re not a bot” appears. I’m using Mullvad VPN via the Wireguard app and the solution was to just switch your VPN location, but even that doesn’t work anymore. Apparently youtube has changed the method used by Invidious to bypass ads into the bargain so that no longer works now.
I just don’t agree with having to subject myself to being bombarded with fucking ads every time I want to watch even obscure yt videos such as those which appear on sites covering the Russia/Ukrainian war most of which are in foreign languages anyway which I don’t understand. I think I’m going to delete my youtube channel now as a means of revenge. It’ll be one less conduit for Google to use to bombard users with ads.
Watching YouTube in browser is outdated. There are better options now: FreeTube, Greyjey, NewPipe, SnapTube and so on depending on your system. Limitations: you can not log into Google account, like videos or leave comments in apps. But I believe the problem is with your VPN or VPN app or Browser itself and cookie settings. I am using NordVPN (until my subscription expires) and I do not have problems in browser and only once in a while on apps. You may have to use better ad blocker (build in or uBlock) and script named “YouTube Ad Cleaner (Include Non-Skippable Ads- works)” with ViolentMonkey extension. You have to play with different combinations of scripts and filters to see what works. I do not have to use scripts in Mullvad browser with uBlock. But with Brave browser Shields, I have to use scripts. It may take a while but you will figure out it eventually.