Europe has a new lobbying body, one with a self-stated mission to “improve competition, transparency, and resilience” in the cloud computing sector.
The Open Cloud Coalition (OCC) counts 10 members at launch, the most notable one being Google, supported by cloud providers spanning international and local markets including Centerprise International, Civo, Gigas, ControlPlane, DTP Group, Prolinx, Pulsant, Clairo and Room 101. Part of its work will involve conducting cloud market research and presenting the results to regulators both in the European Union and the U.K., while “engaging in consultations on competition and market fairness,” according to a statement issued today.
The launch comes just hours after Microsoft deputy general counsel Rima Alaily preempted the announcement, publishing a blog post accusing Google of conducting a “shadow campaign” to influence cloud regulation in Europe. Alaily called the new organization an “astroturf group organized by Google,” adding that Google had “gone through great lengths to obfuscate its involvement, funding, and control” by using smaller European cloud providers as the face of the coalition.
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I might be wrong, but isn’t Microsoft doing the same with everything else that is computer-related? “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Infighting might be the only way to bring down big tech in places with no effective regulations. Epic attacks Apple and Google because they missed out on digital market monopolies. Google attacks Amazon and Microsoft because they are losing badly in cloud space.
Using EU to lobby seems so cynical though. I’m glad I dumped almost all Google services ages ago. Still need to figure out what to do about e-mail, I feel trapped with Gmail.
Yeah, same. I know i pay massively with my data, but at least I’m not bombed with spam. But on the european alternatives (at least the german ones) it feels like i pay a little less with my data and I get BOMBED with spam.
I’m also not bombed with spam. I got an ionos mailbox, the basic tarrif is 1,50€/month and it comes with your own domain for free. I can recommend it, also for families. I also heard good things about posteo and mailbox.org.
Have a look here friend, maybe you’ll find something to your liking: https://www.privacyguides.org/en/email/
I’m so old that my email is name.surname@gmail.com (along with one under pseudonym). It’s not that there’s problem with choice, I haven’t gotten that far. Changing primary e-mail for accounts created over 20 years sounds like an insurmountable task every time I consider it.
There’s also perceived stability with a corpo backed email. I don’t know if Tuta will be around in the next 20 years. Google probably will be, in one form or another.
That seems like the easiest to replace… FairMail, KolabNow, MailFence, Mailbox.org, Protonmail, RunBox, StartMail, Tutanota, etc.