Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said Monday that unfair tactics used by Google led to its dominance as a search engine, tactics that in turn have thwarted his company's rival program, Bing. Nadella testified in a packed Washington, D.C., courtroom as part of the government's landmark antitrust trial ag...
Microsoft CEO says unfair practices by Google led to its dominance as a search engine::Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said Monday that unfair tactics used by Google led to its dominance as a search engine, tactics that in turn have thwarted his company's rival program, Bing. Nadella testified in a packed Washington, D.C., courtroom as part of the government's landmark antitrust trial against Google's parent company, Alphabet. The Justice Department alleges Google has abused the dominance of its ubiquitous search engine to throttle competition and innovation at the expense of consumers, allegations that echo a similar case brought against Microsoft in the late 1990s.
Man, I booted up a Windows laptop I use for 3D printing software for the first time in 6 months. The fucking popup ads for Microsoft shit were out of control. Fuck that shit, I turned it off and started searching for something that works under Linux.
I've been using Firefox on Windows for a few years (and Chrome for many years before that) and I can't remember the last time it nagged me, if it ever did. I've sometimes wanted to temporarily switch the default browser back to Edge and the setting to do it hard to find if you don't know where to look.
I mean, he is wrong. Google isn't the default on Windows, but Chrome and Google search dominate Windows.
Google is the default for Android, so we can discuss that (but that isn't what Microsoft is complaining about.)
That just leaves macOS and more importantly iPhone. Google pays to be the default there. Is that unfair? Should Apple be able to bid for/charge a company to be the default?
Additionally in all these cases switching is easy.
I won't deny that being the default is an advantage but it isn't like users can't switch. You can remove Google search from your phone and it will work just fine. You can change the defaults on your Safari browser in a few clicks.
To be clear if this case uncovers shady/illegal behavior from Google, fuck 'em, but I'm not seeing it.
IMHO, no, he’s not wrong. Google is the default because they’re paying to be the default. That’s monopolistic.
It’s also not easy to switch from Google. In Safari, DuckDuckGo is set as my default search engine, but Siri will still use Google when I ask to search something. Same with Google Assistant. Sure, you can disable Google search on your phone, but that also removes other features that aren’t even related to search (like Assistant, which only runs if the Google app is enabled).
To me, that is absolutely anticompetitive behavior.
While I mostly agree with what you're saying here, I would like to point out that removing Google Search from an Android device can prevent a user from accessing other applications or specific features within (obviously Google developed apps). I guess that one really comes down to what we think working "just fine" is.
The Microsoft bailing out apple for competition, is arguably worse than firefox and google. Why? Because apple software required apple hardware.
Microsoft had essentially a monopoly on every piece of computer hardware that was not made by apple, while apple was (and still is) in its own playground with its own glue to eat. They weren't really competing. If you wanted something that was not expensive apple hardware, Microsoft was the only option.
Now Linux is more of an option, but at 2-3% of the market share, it's hardly the start of competition.
I believe Microsofts 3 point plan involved these things:
either a) embrace extend extinguish the competition or b) buy the competition out.
get retailers to only stock windows on non apple machines.
give discounts to schools so the kids become familiar with our software over everything else, so our methods become the "industry standard" and are considered "user friendly"
And Microsoft isn't the only company guilty of this, Adobe, Autodesk, and so many more. And parts 2 and 3 are still issues today that are incredibly hard to stop. Because the vast majority of people, including politicians don't care or don't want to switch. Windows, Office and the Adobe suite are practically ingrained into society at this point, and people are more likely to use the familiar, and fear or get frustrated with the unfamiliar.
I don't care about either, just want better search back. Does anyone remember when you could search for a specific product or part and the first link was to the manufacturer? Now you have to sort through sponsored content, various retailers, link spam, paywalled articles, video reviews (usually made by bots), and social media posts to get to the manufacturers website.
Yes, it's clear Google search is broken. Even searching for things you know exist may not show up in the search results no matter how specific you are.
I stick with DuckDuckGo, it stays as it is. Every time I go to Google I see they are messing with the experience, making it easier to end up on sponsored content and harder to just get what you need. Not so with DuckDuckGo.
While DDG uses Bing's results, I wonder how much the two will diverge in terms of results as MS incorporates more AI bullshit in their search, if that will creep into DDG's results as well?
Microsoft demands a level playing field so that its own unfair practices are able to compete in the free market of unfair practices. It’s the American way.
Nadella said Google's dominance was due to agreements that made it the default browser on smartphones and computers.
Google gained dominance in the early 2000s when the dominant platform was the smart phone Windows computer, which had a default browser of Google Chrome Internet Explorer and a default search engine of Google MSN search.
Maybe if they actually made them better compared to the then competition, this could've turned out differently; mind you, it would still be as bad, because Microsoft, but hey, different nonetheless.
Fuck you Microsoft. Your entire existence is based upon unfair monopolistic practices, I still remember having to build sites for IE6 you sick fucks.
You spent millions literally on sabotaging your competition, and you're still not able to create quality software yourself. You get to say nothing here.
Microsoft should be broken up, bankruptcy would be even better
They only avoided getting anti-trusted and split up like Ma Bell because W came into power and called off the prosecution. They have zero right to complain about monopolistic practices in the tech industry, lol.
The were actually found guilty of anti trust by the department of justice, but somehow they were able to pay their fines by supplying schools with free copies of windows. Fuck me
Says CEO of the company which created browser wars and broke standards to keep the monopoly. Same company which has so many lawsuits against them for the very same "unfair practices". Am not saying Google is a saint, they are creepy in their own way, but boy is this pot calling kettle black.
"We totally would have established a monopoly through blatantly unfair business practices, but we had to be a little careful because everyone was still watching us closely after the last time we did that, and those weasely sons of bitches at Google snuck in there first this time!"
Fuck this guy, Microsoft is just as guilty. Their business practices are based around limiting competition and exterminating it, the only reason they don't have a monopoly on cloud platforms is because they were to busy trying to sell overpriced Windows server, SQL and office licenses to businesses and Amazon jumped into the cloud business first. Look at what they're doing with Activision-Blizzard, the Indiana Jones video game from Bethesda, Starfield exclusivity etc. in the gaming space. This shit is part of the reason why I run Linux.
I think you mean Brave Browser—it has actually been in a lot of controversy recently. Shady features that replace a sites targeted ads with ones that pay Brave instead. CEO seems like a jerk too.
Proceed with caution if you’re thinking about using Brave.
That's rich coming from the company that tries to force new windows operating systems on people, and installs its own boot loader when running Linux partitions.
I very much agree with the general sentiment here about Microsoft's substantial hypocrisy and what a bad look it is, but isn't it likely to the benefit of consumers if these large companies are helping fuel legitimate antitrust lawsuits at each other?
No ms, your search offering was such utter shit that only the AI boom saved you from the death it deserved and your attack on google comes to late - google is already falling from its pedistal on its own because they've enshitified the service.
Oh fuck off Microsoft. Nobody wants to hear that shit from you. If you had your way our fucking cars would be powered by edge, and would tell us to play raid shadow legends every time we turned it on.
Y'all making pot and kettle jokes aren't nearly as clever as you think you are. If the sheer repetition isn't enough to prove my point, consider that we're talking about a hearing about Google. Google is on trial right now, not Microsoft, so any of Microsoft's conduct is irrelevant to the hearing.