Google in 2024: Net profit: $100 billion
The government: "here is a tiny fine that you can't even see in a microscope."
That’s a rounding error for them.
Years ago, when this policy was first being contemplated, someone at google plugged a number, likely larger than this, into a spreadsheet analyzing the cost/benefit of spying on their customers.
This is just post-activation operating expense from their perspective.
Don’t we ban Chinese phones for the same actions?
So of the billions they made with that they have to pay a small fee.
Oh noes
Jail them!
Alt text: a screenshot from final fantasy tactics with a character saying: “If the penalty for a crime is a fine, then that law only exists for the lower class.”
A fine is the cost of doing business. Unless something changes they’ll keep doing it.
Doesn't sound like the suit was about the collection at all and just about the data transmission costing users mobile data usage.
Vague articles are vague.
Break the law and pay 0.014% of your market cap, or 0.31% of their 2024 profit.
The linked Reuters article provides a bit more context:
The jury agreed with the plaintiffs that Alphabet's Google (GOOGL.O), was liable for sending and receiving information from the devices without permission while they were idle, causing what the lawsuit had called "mandatory and unavoidable burdens shouldered by Android device users for Google's benefit."
[…]
Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said in a statement that the company would appeal, and that the verdict "misunderstands services that are critical to the security, performance, and reliability of Android devices."
laughs in GrapheneOS
I don't chase dropped pennies, and I don't think google does either!
Oh noes
They're shivering in their boots
So when are we all finally going to ditch Google/Apple and move on to actual FOSS phones like Librem5 or Fairphone?
Let's be clear, the fine is for using cellular data, which is the harm caused.
I suspected they were doing that
Can I take off my tinfoil hat now?
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