Google is not developing Android for the IAP fees, they're doing it to sell phones loaded with their search, advertising, browser and services. They take hundreds of billions in revenue annually from this, they are being paid several times over for that work even if they get no IAP fees.

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b112 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

It's sad that Google has absolutely no foresight.

The speed of government is slow, incredibly slow. It's measured in election cycles. It takes government eight, twelve years to simply turn around and notice. But once it does, it's a juggernaut.

Nothing can stop it. Nothing can avert it. Nothing can prevent it. And as everybody from Facebook to Microsoft knows, once it starts moving, you're screwed.

In the US, the oil companies thought they were too big. Then the telco companies thought they were too big. What really happens is eventually people just get pissed off, and then it's too late.

Google is fast approaching that. They almost had chrome and other things ripped away from them, and now they've got requirements to have alternate play stores. If they don't turn course, and turn course blazingly fast, they're going to have their entire empire wrenched away from them.

Oh well.

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mrandish 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> If they don't turn course, and turn course blazingly fast, they're going to have their entire empire wrenched away from them.

Unfortunately, that's no longer the case with the app store monopolies. While Apple is under some partial enforcement on parts of their app store policies, Google managed to play the game of regulatory brinksmanship better and largely avoided that for their app store. So the regulatory powers (such as they are) have already taken their best shot and this is where we are.

	▲	b112 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Once this starts it never ends. Regulatory action has been steadily increasing around the world, and it will continue to do so. Juggernauts do not have to be fast. And the judge has seen Google being intractable and sneaky with alternate app stores too: https://www.theverge.com/policy/979852/that-is-not-acceptabl... There is now a record of this. The next action against Google, will see people pointing out each step they took to avoid compliance. A case a year down the road about AI, will see stubborn attempts to comply like the above cited. Google, with the gold plated shovel, digging a hole for itself. Put another way, breaking up a company typically comes after other methods don't work. Such as being sneaky and making them not work. Or even because the required competition didn't occur, regardless of fault. It's not over. It's a step taken, with a positive outcome, and a judge who is making sure there's follow through. Next step will be more stark.

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philipallstar 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

You can already stand up an alternate store.

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izacus 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Google is funding Android fully from Play Store, since previous CFO the ad revenue isn't shared between parts.

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benoau 3 hours ago | parent [-]

They also say they generate $57 billion ad revenue from being default search engine on iPhone, so obviously there is a cash value to being the default search (and everything else) on Android too even if their accountants can finagle reasons that doesn't contribute to Android's development costs.

If they didn't develop Android they'd be paying $10s of billions annually for the prime positioning their apps and services and search enjoy too, so even if you buy their accounting tricks the development is paying for itself many times over.

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izacus 2 hours ago | parent [-]

That would then go against the wishes of people here for Google to be broken up and Android to self-fund, no? ;)

	▲	benoau 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		If Android did belong to someone else then there could be an argument that IAP fees are funding it and subsequently required, perhaps even under less-than-competitive circumstances. But if the court allowed, Google would be paying that company $10s of billions for the prime real estate their software, search and services enjoy and it would then be a very weak argument that only IAP funds its development. Just like it is when Google earns $100s of billions in revenue from Android now.