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GrapheneOS says Google is making life harder for rival operating systems and devices
(www.androidauthority.com)
this post was submitted on 11 May 2026
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The EU can fine them for things like this but it won't make much difference. To provoke long term change, we need a way to block them from our countries and that's impossible.
Let's start by fining them ^^
They can also enforce changes if they want access to the EU market
We can't afford to start a real war with them because they control far too much of our technology. Yes, we could threaten to block their access to our markets but what if they don't change their behaviour? Do we go through with it? Some of their services are critical to our daily lives and just one day without a few of them and entire systems would collapse.
EDIT: Big tech corporations like Google are more powerful than governments. While they are not invulnerable to sanctions, we may lose as much or more than they do if we take drastic action without viable alternatives.
I agree that it's too early, but disagree that it would never be possible. If the EU can successfully move away from Microsoft like they're trying to do now, then I think that will provide an excellent model for moving away from other tech monopolies.
This is just looking at the material reality of the problem. I can't effectively threaten someone who I'm heavily dependent on without present alt. Kinda how Trump got slapped when he tried economic coercion on China. If the EU has a domestic alternative to Big Tech's cloud services that's in wide use and easy to scale up, the they can legitimately threaten Big Tech. That said even then that would not be enough given the newly developed dependence on US - LNG. Threaten Big Tech and the US threatens cutting off the gas supply. A gas supply shortage topples governments.
The reality is that they are powerful but if they were to become actice participants in some hypothetical war the governments could freeze and withold funds with the swipe of a pen.
There are a lot of regs around the freedom of funds and stopping that if there is a legitimate national security risk. The US is doing it right now with funds provided from the EU to purchase weapons for Ukraine. The US is not fulfilling orders because they blew their load murdering innocent children in Iran.
You think Google is going to abandon the EU market over timely releases of their AOSP code and the ability to install apps from outside the playstore?
No, I don't think so. I don't think they would ever abandon the EU market. I was thinking more along the lines of a "malicious compliance" approach, where they would make it more difficult for us to access certain services.
Please note that I am not against fining and fighting Google and other big tech companies. Sorry if my comments make it seem like I am.
This is literally their latest attempt at malicious compliance so you’re not wrong. EU will play ball for sure.
Their power is fragile though. The EU has sanctioned big tech in the past and will do so again. Sure they could screw us over hard but that'd hurt their profits significantly more than complying and as slaves to their shareholders they will not do that.
We shall not bow to tech twinks.