Google in 2024: Net profit: $100 billion
The government: “here is a tiny fine that you can’t even see in a microscope.”
That does nothing to help anyone hurt by the actions.
Hey, they’re gonna get their $2.97 checks. That’s a gallon of gas somewhere.
I agree, but one thing that people always miss with these kinds of rulings is that they generally come with increased oversight and greater fines for repeat offenses. They’re more likely to be caught if they try it again, and it’ll grow until it actually hurts.
Still, this should be a lot larger. They should be trying to dissuade first-time offenses as well, not letting them take advantage of the system for profit because it won’t hurt much when they’re found out.
Alt text: a screenshot from final fantasy tactics with a character saying: “If the penalty for a crime is a fine, then that law only exists for the lower class.”
That’s actually shopped. The game’s writer said he wishes he wrote that line, though.
Assuming the fine isn’t progressive, of course.
Over here in Finland fines for any but the minor offences are defined in percents of income, not in fixed sums of money. There have been cases of traffic fines of several hundreds of thousands for going 30 km/h over the speed limit. That makes them a punishment for very richest people as well, not only for the lower class.
Except capital income can be hidden in other countries, still giving an unfair advantage to the super rich.
A fine is the cost of doing business. Unless something changes they’ll keep doing it.
It’s just the government’s cut since they don’t pay much in taxes.
And it isn’t like the victims see any of it
Don’t we ban Chinese phones for the same actions?
China bad.
I think the original commenter means that Google got off with a tap on the wrist
Years ago, when this policy was first being contemplated, someone at google plugged a number, likely larger than this, into a spreadsheet analyzing the cost/benefit of spying on their customers.
This is just post-activation operating expense from their perspective.
Google made 100 billion last year.
300 million is barely a blip.
The fine should have been 30 billion.
if the fines arent big enough to seriously hurt a company, Then the fines are not big enough to change their behavior.
They just become a tax on evil.
If you earn like 100k a year its like being slapped with a 300 $ fine just to put it into perspective.
100k AFTER all your expenses.
Base it not off the entire company, base it off the value of doing this. They didnt make 100 billion off unapproved android user data collection.
This argument is common and while fines should be higher, the idea that they dont matter unless they are 10% of earnings is ridiculous.
Doesn’t sound like the suit was about the collection at all and just about the data transmission costing users mobile data usage.
Vague articles are vague.
That’s a rounding error for them.
A pi in the face
So small it’s almost imaginary
So when are we all finally going to ditch Google/Apple and move on to actual FOSS phones like Librem5 or Fairphone?
When they are good.
Another problem I have is multifactor apps. Can I get duo on a Linux phone? Or banking apps? Some software sends notifications to the phone to log in on a computer, for example.
I’m sure I could get around it, but ultimately I just want a good camera.
Yeah, I need to know that Microsoft authenticator, duo mobile, all banking and trading apps, Venmo, and steam guard work on Linux. I know a lot of banking apps do, but if duo mobile doesn’t, I’m locked out of my work.
