Mastodawn

Consider this: The #EU has just won 2 court cases against big tech. Yet these do not get continuous MSM attention. The USA banning #TikTok is wall-to-wall even here in Europe. We need to celebrate our wins more, not obsess about USA (frankly) incompetence.

"**the European Court of Justice gave the Union's regulators two major victories in their ongoing battles with tech giants, judging that #Apple and #Google must pay over €15 billion in total"**

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/european-union/article/2024/09/10/eu-top-court-delivers-big-win-against-apple-and-google_6725521_156.html

EU top court delivers 'big win' against Apple and Google

In two back-to-back rulings, the European Court of Justice gave the Union's regulators two major victories in their ongoing battles with tech giants, judging that Apple and Google must pay over €15 billion in total.

Le Monde

Abazigal Jan 19, 2025

@DrPen They were covered. And I am of the opinion that the fine Apple is being made to pay is unfair (they have technically already paid their share to the US treasury when they repatriated their profits). But you won’t see this sort of nuance being mentioned in the news either. It’s all about sticking it to Apple and making them pay these days. 😕

Dr Pen Jan 19, 2025

@Abazigal yes ofc they were reported. But they weren't obsessed over, not many people were interviewed and the global eye was not focused on them. It was just all in a days news. In terms of nuance, its a way of looking at it, thats what nuance is, an interpretation. There are always bigger stories.

Koen 🇺🇦Jan 19, 2025

@Abazigal @DrPen oww poor apple - they paid US taxes and massively avoided EU taxes and now the EU give them a very slight slap - poor, poor apple

Alexandre Marcati Jan 19, 2025

@Abazigal @DrPen If they didn't pay due taxes to the EU it doesn't matter if they have complied in paying their US taxes. It's like if you borrow money from two different people and pay one back and then say the other one shouldn't try to collect what you owe them because you already paid the first one.

Abazigal Jan 19, 2025

@alemarcati In this case, the EU and US are both laying claim to the same amount of money, and my point is that if the EU really wanted to claw that money back, they should (IMO) approach the US treasury for the money, but we know they will never do that. Easier to just blame Apple than risk picking a fight with another country.

Alexandre Marcati Jan 19, 2025

@Abazigal That makes no sense. Taxes are country specific. If a multinational is doing business in two countries, it has to pay the taxes that the laws of each country impose. The taxes of one country have nothing to do with the taxes of the other country and it's nonsensical to expect one country to try to get the tax money from the government of the other country. If the US government overtaxed Apple, that's none of EU's business. Apple has to pay EU taxes regardless of having paid the US.

tessarakt Jan 19, 2025

@Abazigal @DrPen In Apple's case, it's not a fine, just back taxes.

Giacinto Boccia Jan 19, 2025

@DrPen I see what you mean, but, to be fair, banning an app is bigger news than fining them, given that the amount of the fines is not such to make them go out of business.

Passenger Jan 19, 2025

The thing is, it's just money. It's not even a lot of money by big tech standards. The EU isn't breaking up Apple or Google, nationalising them, open-sourcing their tech, forcing them to share their data with competitors, or restricting their ability to gather user information. The EU is letting them buy their way out of trouble, and I'm sure the tech companies will be relieved that they can do this.

Tiktok, by contrast, has actually been forced to suspend operations. There's no option to hand over a small amount of money (by their standards) and then carry on as they were.

The latter is news. The former is not. I think this is why people are discussing the latter and not the former.

Lupo_Bavaria Jan 19, 2025

@DrPen Yes, and everybody can install Pi-hole server software on a Raspberry Pi to let it work as lokal DNS Server blocking all spy activities on all local devices! Judge yourself: no loss of comfort or information - no bullshit and spy acticvities any more:

Oros Jan 19, 2025

@DrPen everything is agreed behind closed doors. Europe buys for example LNG from the US due to Russian sanctions Europe has imposed, forced from the US and Europe gets some money back with such deals. It's all theater.

Dr Pen Jan 19, 2025

@oros yes I tend to agree. It's very performative but is it better than nothing? Probably. Who knows, we can hope that national governance grows up and realises the scale of operations that's actually happening

Koen 🇺🇦Jan 19, 2025

@DrPen it's adorable how the EU thinks a fine of less than 10 billiion is a BIG win - adorably naïve these europeans, US companies "worth" several trillions (that's thousands of billions) can just keep on doing business as usual - they won't even notice this very slight tick which took the EU 7 years to apply - SNAFUBAR

Dr Pen Jan 19, 2025

@bonno you are so right. The naivety of governing bodies is almost cute if it wasn't so tragic.

RejZoR Jan 19, 2025

@DrPen America making all the drama about Chinese spying on them while ignoring the fact that American corporations like Google, Meta and also Apple are spying on them for decades at this point. But apparently it's okay if American mega corporations and government do it and bad if China does it. Because that is somehow different. If I was American I'd almost rather be spied upon by TikTok or Huawei than X, Meta, Google or Apple...

verified_transgender

@DrPen it's not incompetence, it's deliberate.

Dr Pen Jan 19, 2025

@elexia this is highly possible. Manouvering to then sell to one of the big tech donors maybe.

Kalle Kniivilä Jan 19, 2025

@DrPen @joakimfors Wasn't that like 4 months ago? Why should that be in the news now?

Dr Pen Jan 19, 2025

@kallekn @joakimfors 8 don't mean that, I mean it had next to no media attention in comparison.

Kalle Kniivilä Jan 19, 2025

@DrPen @joakimfors True. But then again, nothing was banned.
😺

Christian Cado Jan 19, 2025

@DrPen It is time Europe takes back control one way or another. It takes time but it is going to happen.

matroskin Jan 19, 2025

@DrPen Interesting. I mean, blocking a resource controlled by a totalitarian regime that has been caught more than once using propaganda from that very totalitarian regime is incompetence. ))))) I think you should be socially ranked?

Dr Pen Jan 19, 2025

@matroskin I apologise if you felt personally slandared but I don't think Tiktok will be banned, it cld have a long compliance period, and then be sold. It's a mess, and shows the lack of planning and resolve to act sooner. Brazil banned Twtr without hesitation until Musk complied with legal requirements, and after initially throwing a tantrum, he then quietly complied. If USA had done this with Tiktok, we would not now be in this mess.

matroskin Jan 19, 2025

@DrPen It's the only right thing to do. And useful. China is a breeding ground for lies.

Austina Powers Jan 19, 2025

@DrPen the USA is fked. Enjoy and protect your freedoms, Europe. We are seething with envy. #helptheusa #pleasesaveus

@DrPen The issue might be that we've only been fining big tech companies for a decade now. Meta has committed enough crimes to be banned indefinitely, and those fines don't seem to hurt it very much.

strwbrryJen Jan 19, 2025

@DrPen the one thing i just wrap my head around is why europe still gives a shit about my country, the USA is losing power at a rapid rate and is becoming such a laughing stock to the point of being irrelevant

adison verlice Jan 19, 2025

@DrPen i'm glad that Europe is being harsh on these companies

Makyris Jan 19, 2025

@DrPen Excellent point.

The Enemy is Within Jan 19, 2025

The EU needs to have a word with Ireland which seems to be protecting big tech.

YouTube and Google, Meta, TikTok, Microsoft and Apple are all HQ'ed Ireland where data harvesting laws are more agreeable for now.

https://mastodon.social/@Deixis9/113828986649162281

Captain of the SS El Faro Jan 19, 2025

@DrPen I mean sure but it would be nice if they got punished, I'm not going to celebrate them writing a meaningless check which no doubt came out of a fund they set up for that purpose which has already made more money than the pitiful fine.