Tech Companies Cutting Off Nose to Spite Face

Giant tech companies just love to make it so their customers stay within their product “ecosystem” for as long as possible. 

Amazon has built an empire — and created much anxiety — by doing exactly that. Google has been fined billions by the EU for trying to force users into using only Google products — such as by requiring customers of its AdSense business to sign contracts stating they will not accept advertising from rival search engines and by abusing its market dominance with Android mobile phones.

Now Google has drawn the ire of homebuilders due to its insistence on tying the Nest smart home technology, which it acquired in 2014, to Google accounts. 

As smart homes become more and more common, it has become popular among homebuilders to buy and install Nest in new construction projects. But now many are ditching Nest. Why? Because starting in August, consumers need a Google account and access to the company’s voice-based Google Assistant service in order to integrate new Nest products with other devices in their homes.

Perhaps the only thing that can bring down “big tech” is the self-inflicted wound of trying to achieve ubiquity.