Google reached that point some years back and apparently recognized the risk embedding employees in the Obama administration and putting their then CEO and eventual Chairman in the position of close presidential advisor effectively preventing major US objection to their apparently growing misuse of power. But they didn’t have that influence on the EU and have largely lost that influence in the US with their last major appointment vacating her job this year.
This means that where the protective layer didn’t exist, the EU, things are ramping to unprecedented fines and the US is likely to reconsider going after Google if the fines remain in place much like the EU was emboldened to go after Microsoft after Microsoft was similarly curtailed in the US. Recall that back then the States individually went after Microsoft as well which is also likely with Google
It is this cascading effect that creates the biggest risk for Google because they represent a huge pool of potentially accessible funds to strapped State and Federal Agencies in increasingly desperate need of them internationally. If Google’s parent, Alphabet, doesn’t get their arms around this the potential cascade could consume all of their profits and much of their reserves taking what is an incredibly successful firm and very quickly dropping it into the category of firms on life support.
