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Did Google Tip Off EU About Microsoft Browser Ballot?

Posted by samzenpus on from the tattle-tail dept.

Dupple writes with a story about the latest in the Google-Microsoft feud. "The tired spat between Google and Microsoft just got a lot more interesting after reports that the search giant tipped off European authorities to antitrust concerns, a tip that will now cost the Windows-maker nearly a billion dollars. When news of the fine levied by the European Union's competition watchdog broke on Wednesday, nobody was too surprised that the European Commission was punishing Microsoft for bullying consumers. But with a recent headline-stealing dispute between the Redmond, Washington company and Google, it's competitor down in Mountain View, California, bloggers got curious. Early Wednesday evening, The Wall Street Journal's Tom Gara wondered, 'Did Google Snitch?' According to a Financial Times report published a few minutes later, the answer is yes."

16 of 187 comments (clear)

  1. Obvious troll by AmiMoJo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This story is an obvious troll. There was no need to "tip off" the EU, it was plainly obvious to everyone the browser ballot disappeared and the EU obviously monitors compliance with its rulings.

    Furthermore when did â500m before "nearly a billion dollars"? Someone can't do maths.

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    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    1. Re:Obvious troll by Cenan · · Score: 3, Insightful

      And yet it isn't closer.

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      ... whatever ...
    2. Re:Obvious troll by Xest · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That and so what if Google did tip them off?

      Microsoft has been paying millions to lobby EU staff and politicians to attack Google over non-issues, that's far worse than Google pointing out to the EU that Microsoft was in breach of it's obligations as a result of the investigation against them.

      I assume the nearly a billion dollars thing comes from the exchange rate as I believe the figure you quote is euros no?

    3. Re:Obvious troll by lxs · · Score: 4, Insightful

      They didn't get the fine for the offense itself. They had a suspended sentence hanging over them for earlier abuses and they broke the restrictions imposed on them for that sentence.

      When you steal a bar of chocolate you don't automatically end up prison, but you do when you already have been sentenced to a suspended prison sentence.

    4. Re:Obvious troll by AK+Marc · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It was essentially a penalty for breaking the law earlier, and they failed to live up to their parole terms, then whine that Google told on them.

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      Learn to love Alaska
    5. Re:Obvious troll by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I couldn't care less who tip them off, but in the same line, I need Adobe to stop forcing me to install Chrome on my pc with every flash update!

  2. Who cares? by sofar · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Microsoft were fined for a reason. Who cares that google complained? They make a browser... this is sooooo non-news.

  3. Snitch? by nospam007 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A competitor violates the rules to ruin a company and if you call the cops you are a snitch?

    Are you a gang member or just a moron?

    1. Re:Snitch? by MadKeithV · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It ruined no one by not having that list present

      It was illegal and a violation of the agreement that Microsoft themselves signed with the EU after Microsoft lost the browser bundling court case. That's all that matters. The EU said "you can't do that" to Microsoft, Microsoft fought it hard in court, Microsoft lost, Microsoft agreed to a specific remedy, Microsoft then violated that remedy, Microsoft gets fined to send a message to any company that might think it's not that big a deal to violate a legal agreement with the EU. Whether it was sensible or not doesn't matter - it is the Law, and as a company you cannot flip off the Law and expect to get away with it.

  4. Thank you google for standing up for our rights by detain · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Its too bad slashdot has been reduced to articles like. I applaud google for helping out the individuals rights to choose what software they run on the computer, and find it shocking that the new slashdot owners are posting an article trying to shun google for helping in an anti-trust case. Aren't we supposed to be on the side of those people fighting for things like this? Next up our new slashdot overlords will be poking fun at the EFF.

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    1. Re:Thank you google for standing up for our rights by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      You always had a right to download another browser. People didn't even notice that the list of competing browsers was even missing for f*cks sake. Are you saying it's a user right to be spoon fed a list of competing products everywhere or was someone targeted because they have a deep bank account.

      Why the hell isn't my shampoo bottle giving me the list of all other shampoo's I can use!11

    2. Re:Thank you google for standing up for our rights by cyber-vandal · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Are you serious? What extra computer literacy do you need to use Firefox or Chrome?

  5. So, doing the right thing is called "snitching"? by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sad, sad, sad submitter. Reflects the intellectual poverty of one who has no other idea of this action than "snitching". The very word is negative and implies something is wrong with informing the authorities that Microsoft is breaking the law (again - what a surprise). Where did this even come from? Oh yeah, "snitches get stitches". Who created this meme? Oh yeah, drug dealers who wanted to intimidate the local population into silence. And now the media is going along with it without even thinking of the implications. Good job everyone.

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    Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
  6. Who is Adam Clark Estes? by Psychotria · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Who is Adam Clark Estes? I'd really like to know, because his "article" reads like it was written like a 5-year-old. "Ooooh, you can't snitch on people; the honour code is not to snitch! They are is not are playing fair! They is are doing what they're s'posed to do! They stoled my donut and lunch money but I didn't snitch! Snitches is are naughty!" Is he still in kindergarten?

    His closing words in his "article": "Well, who looks triumphant now?"

    Not you, Adam. But you do look like a moron.

  7. 17+ months and the world didn't notice but Google? by edelbrp · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I don't get it (I'm not in the EU), but you might have thought more people would have noticed besides Google that the Browser Ballot was missing for 17-18 months? Seems odd.

  8. Re:17+ months and the world didn't notice but Goog by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Probably lots of people noticed, but you can't imagine the amount of time needed for Brussel's bureaucrats to do something about it.