Consider that the width and depth of Google's anticompetitive violations is already massive, and increasing. The EU's record-breaking fine against Google was the first of three.
There is a point where the EU may have to take steps beyond fines, and bar Google from doing business in... effectively, an entire continent. I don't know where that point is, but if a company doesn't really care about the fines for it's illegal activity and continues to violate the law, you've got to escalate.
And that wouldn't just impact Google's global profits, but it'd likely entail shutting down multiple Google offices in multiple countries, and if their employees weren't interested in immigrating to another country, they'd potentially lose a lot of talent as well.
> The EU's record-breaking fine against Google was the first of three.
I just had a look at Alphabet's stock graph from this year. I couldn't tell from it when the fine happened. So I guess they can afford another two of those.
> There is a point where the EU may have to take steps beyond fines, and bar Google from doing business in... effectively, an entire continent.
I doubt that we're anywhere near that point. Google is way too important, I also guess that the population wouldn't like everything-Google gone.
Google could even threaten to brick all Android phones in the EU, no one would risk that.
Considering that most Android phones are built and sold by other companies, can you possibly imagine Google surviving as a company through that? Consider that if Google was to brick Android phones in the EU, Samsung, HTC, LG, Motorola, etc. would all immediately drop their platforms, globally? And not just those corporations would be suing, but carriers who sold the affected phones in every country applicable as well. Carriers in other countries like the US would also shift away from selling products that Google could arbitrarily brick.
At risk of losing their data due to a legal fight, everyone would migrate their email away from Gmail. Businesses would transfer away from G Suite.
Google would never even threaten to brick all Android phones, because even threatening it would likely put them out of business.
I don't agree with that. The US market remains Google's primary moneymaker, and of course, their headquarters. And beyond every other continent except Europe, they're investing heavily in taking over India right now.
I mean, sure, their stock price would probably crater if they got kicked out of the EU, but they've got half a trillion dollars lying around, it's not like they're actually in need of money.
But such a outright hostile act as you suggest would lose them every partner and resource they have on a global scale.
Good point, I think you're right that Google could never do that.
The same applies for the EU though: It would be quite a hostile act to ban Google from doing any business in the EU, so I think this won't happen either.
They already got in trouble with the European union for promoting their own sites in search due to their market share.