Hacker News Reader

Comment by bun_at_work | Hacker News Reader

Is it possible Google removed the timer because of the EU DMA? If the widget was a search result, it seems like that would be a violation of the new legislation, along with other things people have mentioned disappearing in this thread.

It also would explain why the DDG one remains, as they don't meet the definition of a gatekeeper.

View on HN

If this were the case, they would've used it as a PR opportunity to bash the legislation. It wouldn't have happened silently.

> they would've used it as a PR opportunity to bash the legislation

To what end? Needlessly pissing off lawmakers isn’t a smart strategy.

It's basically their goto strategy though. For instance, responding to third party payment provider laws by saying "okay, but you still have to pay us 27% anyways" is pretty much purposely intended to respond by following the letter of the law and not the spirit of the law, forcing lawmakers to go back and be even more clear on the demand.

They know the law was intended to address their abusive pricing arrangements, but they decided, of course, to thumb their nose at it and add a new "platform fee" instead.

But they're already known to do exactly that. Here's how a lobbying group representing Google, among other companies, went full scaremongering in reaction to a proposed anti-trust law:

https://inv.riverside.rocks/jXf04bhcjbg?t=1297

Oh, sorry, forgot this hasn’t passed yet. Yes, they should be doing that regardless.

I’m not sure of that, tit for tat does well as a strategy. Also lawmakers change every so often and usually love to pick over the negatives from their predecessor’s time and do things differently.

I think in such a legislation it has to be clearly defined what a "search result" is I'd be surprised if the legislation would count the timer widget as such.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com