Which reminds me it is about time to send one of my approximately twice-a-year reminders to competition authorities around here and remind them about it.
If anyone else feels the same, please do, maybe if letters start arriving from other persons than old grumpy reitan they will actually care?
But something along the lines of:
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header, greetings etc
I'm writing you in the hope that you would have time to look into the abuse of market power by Google that has destroyed a well functioning market for web browsers.
Background:
Back before 2008 IE was both stale and very dominant and [...]
The reason for this was both that Internet Explorer (IE from now) started out as a very good browser for it time, but more importantly that Microsoft (MS) abused its market position to push it everywhere and to intentionally degrade experiences for other browsers as proven by Opera Software when they showed that MS technical support web pages magically started working if one let their browser identify itself as IW.
Microsoft was fined severly for this and was also forced to create a browser ballot on machines sold in the EU at least where they had to present IE togheter with competing browsers. Around this time MS also to some degree started changing their ways
This was followed by the rise of OS independent browsers, especially Firefox in the beginning but also Chrome later.
Since around 2010 the growth of Chrome has been happening by eating every other browsers share and there is a lot to indicate that technical superiority is far from the only reason why this has happened:
- remeber to mention bundling (w/Adobe and probably others)
- ads on the front page of Google, something that no others have been allowed to
- misleading ads (showing download a better browser also to firefox users and opera users)
- and last but not least: Google has also been caught red handed in degrading experiences for other browsers, not based on technical capabilities but how they identify themselves
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This should serve as a starting point. I need to get back to work and English is not my first language so make your own : )
Write a letter to a politician that urges them to investigate and enforce laws around the anti-competitive behavior that Google is exhibiting when they abuse their market position to push their Chrome browser. Include a comparison to Microsoft's anti-trust lawsuits around Internet Explorer. Also include specific information around the actions Google is taking that is anti-competitive.
AI:
Dear [Politician],
I am writing to urge you to look into and enforce laws related to the anti-competitive behavior of Google, which is abusing its market position by pushing its Chrome browser. This situation has alarming similarities to the Microsoft antitrust lawsuits surrounding Internet Explorer.
Google is using tactics such as preinstalling Chrome on Android devices, and making it difficult for users to switch to a different browser. It uses its dominance in the search engine market to promote Chrome over alternatives. Google also restricts Android device makers from using modified versions of Android that would allow them to use a different browser. Google has gone even further to promote Chrome by incentivizing device makers to preinstall Chrome and Chrome-related apps through its Android Mobile Services agreements.
This is unacceptable and we need strong action to prevent large corporations like Google from abusing their power in the tech sector. Therefore, I strongly urge you to investigate and enforce laws around this anti-competitive behavior.
Sincerely, [Name]