As someone living in Europe, I think they don't realize that, in a way, Google is bigger than the European Parliament. The citizens of Europe barely take the European Parliament seriously, and there's not much reason for Google to.
I happen to be a fan of Duck Duck Go. But I think Google can do without Europe more easily than Europe can do without Google.
There's no need to go to extremes, either. Just like Microsoft, Google can simply buy enough of the European Parliament to get them to quietly change their minds.
Europe is mainly about regulating a common market, that's what it does, what it was design to do since day 1. Not taking seriously would cause Google infinite problem if they don't pull from Europe entirely.
It is all the other things that Europe is not taken seriously for. Before the crisis citizen living in Europe had some feeling of being European (see the talk about a social Europe, European constitution, ...). The crisis had made clear that countries in Europe are business partners rather than a "union of countries", hence the recent push of euro-sceptic parties all over Europe and the call for "preserving country X sovereignty" by traditional parties.
The failures of/problem of the EURO currency recently and the weirdo relationship it caused between EURO-zone countries is a confusing point, but in general, from an economic point of view, Europe is quite active and well respected between all the members. ( and do not get confused by the "Brussels made us do it" card politician play in order to apply unpopular decision they nevertheless supported )
I know that. But I think you fail to realize that Europe is not the same as its government, just as the US is not the same as the US government.
The analogy isn't perfect, but the citizens of the US want drugs. The American government pours untold billions into its War on Drugs, and as a result there are more drugs available in the US than ever before. Similarly, Europe's Internet users want a smart, convenient master index to the Internet; and they're not likely to knuckle under as docilely as the population of China, whose government has been at least partially successful in locking Google out.
Exactly. There's a lot less cohesion and a lot less centralized power.
Some European governments ship politicians off to Euro-government just to get them out of the way. Perhaps not quite justly, the Euro Parliament is sometimes considered a retirement institution for incompetent politicians.
I understand how a fractured internet (In the physical sense, Europe here, US there, no easy interconnection) could lead to easier lives for politicians, but, How does a fractured google make that easier?
I mean, where you had to deal with one entity, now you have to deal with two. It's more possible that one of them doesn't accommodate to your whims.
Google is the glue that holds the modern internet together through it's universal indexing, but it's based in the US, thus weakening the power of foreign governments.
A fractured google is easier to control. Right now, the French government could pass certain laws and Google could simply say no with few detrimental effects (French users would simply use a proxy). With a fractured Google, Google would need to hold all infrastructure servicing French search in France, or at least significant infrastructure, allowing the French government more leverage in law making, and rent seeking.
That may be the effect but I doubt that is what is going through the minds of individuals making these decisions. This is just a misguided attempt to give Europe's tech industry a shot but another American company will fill in any space lost by Google.
US GDP is growing drastically faster than Europe's GDP. Europe's economy hasn't grown since 2007, with GDP still below those levels. In another year or two, the US will also have a larger GDP than Europe.
I happen to be a fan of Duck Duck Go. But I think Google can do without Europe more easily than Europe can do without Google.
There's no need to go to extremes, either. Just like Microsoft, Google can simply buy enough of the European Parliament to get them to quietly change their minds.