State of Ohio v. Google LLC

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lanun
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Joined: 04/01/2021

Sixteen glorious pages:

https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Files/Briefing-Room/News-Releases/Filed-Complaint-(Time-Stamped).aspx

Snippet from the First Cause of Action:

"41. Google’s operation of Google Search is a public utility.
42. Google, in its operation of Google Search, is a common carrier.
43. Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Chapter 2721, the State is entitled to a judgment declaring Google’s Google Search to be classified a sa common carrier and/or public utility, which subjects Google to the heightened duties that are required of such entities under common law."

lanun
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Joined: 04/01/2021

"As a result of Google’s self-preferencing Results-page architecture, nearly two-thirds of all Google searches in 2020 were completed without the user leaving Google owned platforms. Results of searches became what the Search Engine Optimization (“SEO”) industry calls “no-click searches,” but more accurately is described as “Captured Clicks”, meaning searches that ended either on the search engine result page (“Results Page”) or where a user clicked to other Google platforms, such as YouTube, Google Flights, Google Maps, Google News, Google Shopping, and Google Travel" (p. 4).

Spam Tube, Spam Flights, Spam Maps, Spam News, Spam Shopping, Spam Travel, Spam Recipes...Spam Search. I really hope Ohio does manage to deploy their anti-spam feature and create a precedent.

Cyberhawk

I am a translator!

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Joined: 07/27/2010

Glorious pages indeed! That's the type of lawsuit I want to see happen.

Let's see how far they come, right now it's really an achievement someone is actually calling them out!

andyprough
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Joined: 02/12/2015

In America, if the government decides to regulate google as a utility, then they will possibly decide we all have to use it and aren't allowed the option to use any other search engine. That's often how utilities are handled here.

So I'm not sure I'm in favor of a lawsuit that seeks to regulate google as a utility, and I'm not sure google is opposed to the lawsuit. In fact, google could be conspiring to support the lawsuit.

lanun
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Joined: 04/01/2021

> they will possibly decide we all have to use it

In which case, the worst possible consequence is that it will not make a difference for users, while having that case going, and hopefully others, will arguably be better than having nothing going and letting Google completely off the hook.

I doubt Google is particularly happy with this kind of interference. That said, Google's relative happiness is not of interest in itself.

You might have noticed that I too am not highly confident in the capacity nor the will of public authorities to tackle the abusive behavior of the behemoths that be, but that does not mean they cannot or should not try to do anything. I agree it is not wise to rely completely on anyone else to take care of our own freedom and privacy.

The recent trail of disgraceful votes by the so-called European Parliament is a good illustration of this endemic propensity of public authorities to fail to protect their own citizens. It does not mean all hope is lost, there are still avenues for public action, but this is a permanent fight.

andyprough
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Joined: 02/12/2015

> "You might have noticed that I too am not highly confident in the capacity nor the will of public authorities to tackle the abusive behavior of the behemoths that be, but that does not mean they cannot or should not try to do anything."

But what I am saying is, in America, when the government regulates nothing that's often a vastly better situation freedom-wise than when they do literally "anything".

You can say, "google is abusive, the authorities must do something!!"

And the authorities will say, "YOU ARE RIGHT! From this day forward, Google must have copies of ALL private encryption keys. Hey, we did something! Vote for us and give us money!"

andyprough
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Joined: 02/12/2015

Update - no sooner did I write the above response than the next item I saw online is that there is a report today in the Wall Street Journal about the White House making plans to hand over vast troves of personal data the government has collected on citizens through tax collection programs and domestic spying programs to AI researchers so that they can "improve Artificial Intelligence".

And who pays for most of the AI research in America? Google, Facebook, Amazon probably?

lanun
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Joined: 04/01/2021

You appear to be deliberately conflating stuff, most probably for trolling reasons, but also possibly for ideological reasons:

> when the government regulates nothing that's often a vastly better situation freedom-wise

Good luck with anarchy.

> the White House

Then what are you waiting for to bring down your current deluded hyper-central authoritarian and imperialist administration? A large part of the world would be most grateful for that. I'm afraid complaining about Russian oligarchs or the CCP in the Trisquel forums is not going to make any difference.

If your answer to the GAFAM plutocrats is "do nothing", then great, let's grab that mojito and happily use Toe Browser - or try our best to become one of them. Good luck with that too. If you are in fact suggesting that we cannot trust any form of government and governmental action, then it appears we will have to fight such governments too. Why should the game be as easy as a fast-track lawsuit in a single US state? Are you deliberately forgetting that many of the arguments laid down in that document will, if upheld, provide a strong precedent for endless numbers of lawsuits elsewhere, which might not necessarily aim at regulating a common carrier, but also possibly get the defendant to back down on many of its abusive behaviors? In fact, the document as it stands already provides precedent.

Disclaimer: of course, I am arguably not doing much myself, except staying clear from as many vampire providers as I can, and warning as many people about them as I am given the opportunity to. I have recently had to follow videoconferences by phone, in order to avoid installing any Z**m related software or send any personal data (admittedly at the cost of a compromised landline number). I noticed I was in fact much more focused than when looking at all these funny faces on a single screen. Also, I strive to reduce my consumption to a survival minimum and stopped voting long ago, in order to undermine both bases of the oppressive economic and political system we are living through. I still rejoice when I see G**gle being called for what it is.

andyprough
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Joined: 02/12/2015

Of course, I'm always trolling. You know what the late, great Eddie Guerrero said - "If you aren't trolling, you aren't trying" [slight paraphrase]

However, I think the idea of the govt cracking down on the vast abuses of the Booger Internet Search, Ad-Slinging and Key-logging Company has to be put into proper context. Booger is the NSA's favorite backdoor into everyone's computers and cell phones [along with their Amazon Alexa, Amazon Echo, iPhone, and Facebook and Twitter favorite backdoors into everyone's devices and homes]. Booger's abuses are quite likely a feature, not a bug.

Otherwise, I'm glad to see that you are so conversant with the intricacies of the American legal system. You are very wise and smart. I will take your words to heart. In fact, I'm going to announce my run for President. My slogan will be, "Make America a Wooly Mammoth Hunting Range Again - Use Trisquel".

I think the youth voters will totally understand it.

lanun
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Joined: 04/01/2021

> the intricacies of the American legal system

I don't understand. The lands I was talking about do not seem to be ruled by any sort of apparent laws.

> I'm going to announce my run for President

You don't have to seek that ridiculous, honorary job. Simply grab that Remington and become the law.

Quote for quote: "My ideology is like my principles: I always have others in stock in case you don't like them." --slightly paraphrased from Groucho Marx.

andyprough
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Joined: 02/12/2015

We have my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather's civil war musket - that's the firepower I'm grabbing when the Russians cross the Arctic circle on their armored dogsleds and attack Texas.

lanun
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Joined: 04/01/2021

Fear not: Sarah Palin is standing guard, together with an army of brown bears. What could possibly go wrong?

lanun
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Joined: 04/01/2021

What an excruciatingly long post for the TL, sorry. Shorter version:

You might have noticed there are no simple answers to complex problems. That does not mean doing nothing is necessarily the best answer.

If nobody in the US calls the current abuses by the US federal government and its corporate allies, who will?