- cross-posted to:
- europe@feddit.org
- world@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- europe@feddit.org
- world@lemmy.world
Google has criticized the European Union’s intentions to achieve digital sovereignty through open-source software. The company warned that Brussels’ policies aimed at reducing dependence on American tech companies could harm competitiveness. According to Google, the idea of replacing current tools with open-source programs would not contribute to economic growth.
Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs and chief legal officer, warned of a competitive paradox that Europe is facing. According to the Financial Times, he said that creating regulatory barriers would be harmful in a context of rapid technological advancement. His remarks came just days after the European Commission concluded a public consultation assessing the transition to open-source software.
Google’s chief legal officer clarified that he is not opposed to digital sovereignty, but recommended making use of the “best technologies in the world.” Walker suggested that American companies could collaborate with European firms to implement measures ensuring data protection. Local management or servers located in Europe to store information are among the options.
The EU is preparing a technological sovereignty package aimed at eliminating dependence on third-party software, such as Google’s. After reviewing proposals, it concluded that reliance on external suppliers for critical infrastructure entails economic risks and creates vulnerabilities. The strategy focuses not only on regulation but also on adopting open-source software to achieve digital sovereignty.
According to Google, this change would represent a problem for users. Walker argues that the market moves faster than legislation and warns that regulatory friction will only leave European consumers and businesses behind in what he calls “the most competitive technological transition we have ever seen.” As it did with the DMA and other laws, Google is playing on fear. Kent Walker suggested that this initiative would stifle innovation and deny people access to the “best digital tools.”
The promotion of open-source software aims to break dependence on foreign suppliers, especially during a period of instability caused by the Trump administration. The European Union has highlighted the risks of continuing under this system and proposes that public institutions should have full control over their own technology.
According to a study on the impact of open-source software, the European Commission found that it contributes between €65 billion and €95 billion annually to the European Union’s GDP. The executive body estimates that a 10% increase in contributions to open-source software would generate an additional €100 billion in growth for the bloc’s economy.
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Grow a pair and take it up with the shit gibbon in the whitehouse.
Unfortunately, they will, then we’ll all have to hear the news of some incoherent new anti-France rant.
the idea of replacing current tools with open-source programs would not contribute to economic growth.
Wrong.
creating regulatory barriers would be harmful in a context of rapid technological advancement
Wrong.
Walker suggested that American companies could collaborate with European firms
What does he not understand about digital sovereignty?
According to Google, this change would represent a problem for users
No, for Google. Also, wrong.
that the market moves faster than legislation and warns that regulatory friction will only leave European consumers and businesses behind in what he calls
If that’s the price to avoid technofaschism…
Tl;dr: stop wanking, Walker.
I don’t know if he believes his own made up BS here, but these are some really idiotic statements. I’m glad the EU is taking steps to not use infrastructure created by a fascist government. At this point I don’t think there’s a reason to distinguish FANG (and their friends) from the government seeing how buddy buddy they all are with each other.
This is like a “no shit Google doesn’t want this” which makes moving over to the Euro style even better. Everyone opposed to what huge tech corporations are doing (should be everyone) should see this as a sign that you should make the change.
Google 😂
Google literally supports a bunch of open source projects. Wtf are they saying?
In a lot of cases (like Mozilla), they supported these efforts to legally maintain their monopoly over digital services.
Google is an ad company, they are using their size and influence to redesign the rules of the internet to ensure their presence can’t be bypassed or controlled by the end user.
They want all internet traffic to pass through them.
Burn Google to the ground I say.
So they supported open source just enough to say there is competition and their products are the most popular because they are superior and not because of our anti competitive behavior? And they supported mozilla at one point? Too bad mozilla is going to hell now too I might have to switch.
Do you have any good reading on this? I would be interested in learning the details of google supporting open source as a foil to accusations they are an illegal monopoly/trust and whatever else.
The EU currently has stronger Anti-Trust laws than the North American countries so most a lot of what is public comes from their courts.
This wiki is a good start.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antitrust_cases_against_Google_by_the_European_Union
The case with Mozilla is the most obvious in terms of funding direct competition to maintain the semblance of competition with Chrome. Google really dislike adblockers so they’ve been throwing their weight around with Mozilla and the HTML5 protocols (as best I understand it) to prevent people from using adblockers in the future.
One of the first instances that I can recall was when Google acquired Youtube. There were critics who worried about the lack of competition in video hosting. Google assured legislators that things were fine because they still had Google Video at the time. Controlling those two allowed them to dominate the video hosting space. Google video was eventually phased out, with hosting being diverted to Youtube.
IIRC Google were also throwing their weight around when it came to buying up portions of the wireless spectrum in NA. Again, to prevent other, smaller organizations from gaining a foothold in the mobile industry.
These are mostly off the top of my head from watching their practices over the last 20 years or so there may be corrections to this.
Sorry for not having more direct sources for you but I will continue looking for some and will update when I get a chance.
Edit: Another open-source example is Google’s investment in ‘Accelerated Mobile Pages’ - this is what I was referring too when I said google wants Webtraffic directed through them.
According to Google, the idea of replacing current tools with open-source programs would not contribute to economic growth.
It would be more accurate to call it artificial economic growth.
But, these fuckheads would get laughed out of town if they told the truth.The only economic growth they are referring to is Google’s economic growth.
Screw you google for restricting my access to my YouTube channel you absolute clowns
Fuck you, Google.
They are well aware that US companies placing servers in the EU does nothing for “data sovereignty”, they are bound by the Cloud Act so anything the US government demands takes precedence over the GDPR / EU regulations (which are therefore legally impossible to comply with).
What happened to: “Google ❤️ open source”
I think it’s buried the same place they put the do no evil slogan. No body no crime as they say.
They love appropriating it, not when people use it to kick their evil asses to the curb
Sacrificed on the profit altar, it would seem.
Guys, what you need to do to be competetive, to foster competition… is keep using all our products and services.
Setting up a fund to get new people involved, to get some more money to existing software devs who work on comparable products and servicrs that could be expanded and improved?
No no no, thats uh, that’s anti-competetive, is what that is.
Mhm.
Yep.
I would rather use a tin-can radio than fascist tech. Fuck you, Google. Reap what you sow. You helped American Nazis get in power and you help them stay in power. You deserve to disappear with them when Trump and his vile losers go to jail.
suggested that this initiative would stifle innovation and deny people access to the “best digital tools.”
While I read this section, my google-home powered radio stopped for no reason (just like it does often these days). I opened my home assistant control pannel and launched it again from there.
I’m looking forward to the day I finish my transition to 100% home assistant!
It’s like there are three major political forces in the market: USA, China, Open Source. If we leave the dominant place for another IT world hurt competition? How exactly?
bad for competition? If people want FOSS software, well go make a good product then!
