Apropos ‘Many challenges ahead for Sunak’ (October 26). The elevation of Rishi Sunak to the Prime Ministership has come after the culmination of the short but tumultuous tenure of Liz Truss. Sunak knows very well that he is wearing a crown of thorns as the UK is facing a ‘profound economic challenge’, as he himself described it.
Given the difficult situation, he may not even get the customary honeymoon period. As the people in Britain are hit by high inflation and inequality Sunak’s term in office, some fear, might be shaped, even constricted, by the view from the top.
More important clues to the future may lie in the kind of politics Sunak has subscribed to as he rose to power: A staunch supporter of Brexit, he has consistently taken a hard line on immigration. Sunak is a politician in the Boris Johnson mould.
N Sadhasiva Reddy
Bengaluru
Clipping Google’s wings
The anti-competition practices of Google, have been justifiably called out by the Competition Commission of India and imposed a hefty fine, in two instalments and directed the tech giant to strictly mend its restrictive policies on its payment system and pre-installation of its apps on devices by manufacturers.
This should send out clear signals to all such big business conglomerates to desist from following such restrictive trade practices that kills competition and adversely affects consumer interests.
Google after this setback must mend its ways, play by the rulebook and allow its competitors also to do business and grow. The world is big enough for all players to conduct honest and principled business without cutting down each other.
Google could have easily avoided this ignominy of getting fined again for following restrictive trade practices, if it had not adopted anti-competitive practices at least after it was fined by the US and the EU earlier.
Kosaraju Chandramouli
Hyderabad
Rebuke to Google
The editorial ‘Overbearing Google’ (October 26) is a sharp rebuke to the global tech major and a pat on the back for the CCI for upholding democratic principles.
Steep fines imposed and the related publicity will act as a deterrent for others. For too long, tech majors have been acting in a manner prejudicial to the interests of users and other stakeholders.
The editorial rightly states that “...privacy and security concerns are paramount”. This is particularly so as the country gets rapidly digitized, pulling in large numbers of citizens who are less literate and less aware of the dangers. Senior citizens too are vulnerable.
The CCI has done well to rein in the tech major and must continue to remain vigilant.
V Vijaykumar
Pune
PS1: Box office bonanza
This refers to the report ‘PS1 fires up box office collection, set to cross ₹500 crore collection’ (October 26). Indian audiences are bouncing back after two years of the pandemic when audiences could not visit theatres and watch their favourite movies.
Movies will make money only if they have all the ingredients required to make the movies successful at the box office.
However, besides entertainment movies should also send strong social messages. If more meaningful movies are made on social entrepreneurship, business ethics, they will be a powerful medium of change.
Veena Shenoy
Thane
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