Google and Antitrust

It came as no surprise to me that the EU ruled, and fined Google for monopolistic practices. Antitrust situations are always tricky, especially when the two biggest in the tech industry have involved relatively open operating systems in Windows and Android. The nature of the open model is good for consumers by keeping costs of hardware low and allowing for a vast diversity in hardware choice. In both cases, the crux of the argument for antitrust behavior is around default apps and default services. And when you dig into the root of the issue, while it is true the open-ness of Windows and Android allows for diversity and choice for consumers, it hinders choice for a key player in the ecosystem–the hardware companies.