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by chii 423 days ago
> Antitrust rules which prevented anyone from bidding it would protect against this.

why would anti-trust rules prevent _anyone_ from bidding? Apple can sell their browser search, just like mozilla can sell firefox search. And anyone with a browser could do the same. Unless the anti-trust rules somehow become so overarching that the selling of space for advertising becomes illegal?
2 comments
spacebanana7 423 days ago
You highlight some genuine points of difficulty for antitrust enforcers.

If the rules were targeted at Google only then Google's lawyers would argue this is unequal application of the law. Even if the courts rejected Google's argument there'd be a real risk end up with exactly the same situation but with Bing in a couple of years time as they become the default search on every device / browser.

If "pay for default" deals were banned altogether then Firefox might be seriously hurt, which isn't exactly good for the competitive tech ecosystem.

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arrosenberg 423 days ago
I think it would be a good move to prevent browser deals. There is no reality in which the winner is Firefox, Kagi or DDG - it will always be Google or Bing. That's clearly anticompetitive - it locks the other browsers out of a major share of the market.
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DrillShopper 423 days ago
If you're arguing we should split Chrome development from Google then I'm 100% with you there.
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staunton 423 days ago
Google could argue (correctly?) that if split, Chrome couldn't exist without browser deals?
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DrillShopper 423 days ago
That's belied by the fact that Chromium exists, and I speculate they spun up Chromium in case they were ordered to break up.

The engine is also used in several other web browsers, many of which do not have the clout to survive solely on ads. Yet another reason Google claiming this is absurd.

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arrosenberg 423 days ago
Sure, but I'm arguing Apple shouldn't be allowed to sell "default browser" status on iOS. Show the customer a randomized list and let them choose. Google will probably still dominate, but it won't be because they paid to.
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DrillShopper 422 days ago
Why shouldn't Apple be allowed to do that? They're not a monopolist adjudicated to have been using their market power to cause harm to others.

Context is important.

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