[xg15]

In short, network effects. Longer: the amount of power their decisions have to affect society. If the mom-and-pop shop would refuse to serve readheads, that's (mostly) their decision. If Google decided to lock redheads out of their accounts, or block from using Chrome, Android or Search, those people would have serious disadvantages simply going around their daily life.

[TomMarius]

Are they getting hurt? I guess not. No one has any right to Google services[0]. Google has every right to refuse service to anyone[0]. What if they decided to close shop altogether?

Note that locking them e.g. out of a phone they bought before the ban is something different - that would be a breach of contract from Google side.

[0] unless there is an existing contract

[lovich]

When a company has an almost complete monopoly and they decide to bar someone from service, how is that not hurting them?

If you run a website that earns revenue based on incoming users and Google cuts you off, how is that not damaging you? You could use every single competitor and still not even get a quarter as much traffic as Google.

[TomMarius]

Hurting and damaging as in violence.

What if Google closed shop? Would you force them to reopen again? What if Google never existed?

[xg15]

If this is supposed to lead to the NAP, physical violence is not the only way a person's agency can be restricted or living quality can be reduced. (What I would define as "hurt" here)

[xg15]

> Are they getting hurt? I guess not.

I absolutely disagree. In Google's case, their service have become an integral part to using the internet - and the internet has become an integral part of daily life. So such a block would absolutely have consequences.

> Note that locking them e.g. out of a phone they bought before the ban is something different - that would be a breach of contract from Google side.

Then it would as well be breach of contract to lock me out of the Play Store until I agreed to an updated ToS. Apparently this can still be done if the old ToS contains the right clauses. So I suspect the phone ban would work similarly.