[rorykoehler]

Looking at this completely coldly and amorally... The governments aren't considered 'illicit' under French law. Perhaps search result manipulation isn't illegal under US law (I don't know). That's irrelevant as the laws of the land where the acts took place were broken. The companies breaking the laws must have known that and taken the risk anyway. They lost. They got fined. The more fines that happen the bigger the incentive for the other party to reciprocate.