Ka-Ching and Tally Ho: The EU Charges the Jousts with Google … Again
July 6, 2026
Another dinobaby post. No AI unless it is an image. This dinobaby is not Grandma Moses, just Grandpa Arnold.
In preparation for one of my lectures, I have been trying to find a suitable metaphor for the position Google’s competitors find themselves. The set up looks grim. Google has eyeballs (billions of them). Google has money (billions upon billions of dollars). Google has infrastructure. Google has technology. Okay, you get the idea. Oh, Google appears to operate in what some folks would call monopolistic and predatory ways. Personally I love the Google. I admit it. I believe I was the first person to explain that the company is Googzilla. I think the EU has figured that out. It took some time, however.
Thanks, Midjourney. Quite disappointing actually.
I read “EU Upholds Google Android Fine: Why the Ruling Matters beyond Europe.” I think it is an optimistic write up. The idea is that the 4.1 billion euro fine and the alleged validation of the process Google uses to maintain its grip on certain businesses and market sectors. I appreciate the effort to keep Google within certain boundaries. However, I am not sure that governments can do the trick by issuing fines and setting precedents. The Google just keeps Googling along. Remember the outfit has been ramping up without meaningful constraints for about 30 years. Like governments, Google has its processes. They are machined and lubricated with steady flows of cash.
I circled this passage from the Business Standard article:
The judgment strengthens Europe’s push to hold Big Tech accountable and is likely to serve as an important reference point for competition regulators worldwide, including in India. As governments take a closer look at the growing influence of digital platforms, the decision could shape future rules governing mobile operating systems, app stores, digital marketplaces and even AI-powered services.
I thought this description of the basics of the Google approach was good:
The European Union’s courts accepted that Android is open source but said Google’s commercial agreements went beyond simply offering free software. he judges agreed with regulators that Google’s contracts effectively ensured that most Android phones came with Google Search and Chrome as default options. Since many consumers rarely change default settings, these agreements helped Google preserve its already dominant position in internet search. The court also said restricting manufacturers from selling devices based on modified Android versions reduced innovation by limiting competing operating systems. In other words, the issue was not Android itself but the business conditions attached to using Google’s ecosystem.
I wish to offer several dinobaby observations:
- More battles loom because Google is interested in doing what is necessary to become the universal online solution. Countries and their rules are annoyances.
- The legal processes can be converted into multi-year undertakings. Google operates on Google time, which like Google money, changes the way legal procedures are intended to operate.
- Because people use Google, these individuals are reluctant to give up what is now second natures after years of habitual use. Politicians wanting Google to change cannot ignore what users want. Disconnects in the EU can have exciting consequences.
- The myth that new Web scale search engines will sprout like grass in the spring time is just plain crazy. Search in the Google universe or Google-verse leads inevitably to Google. So innovate away.
Yesterday (July 2, 2026), a former colleague was grousing about Google. He said, “Google did [insert a grievance about cutting off traffic]. Google [insert comment about cutting off advertising revenue].” I listened. I nodded.
When he ran out of gas, I said, “You should re-read Don Quixote. Pay attention to the fighting scenes involving windmills.” Maybe that advice applies to governments trying to change Google’s business practices?
Stephen E Arnold, July 6, 2026
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