This is where we need more than one company to stand up. If Google is the only one doing it, and the government vigorously slaps them around a few times, more than likely they'll stop before they go out of business. And then all the tech companies get put in their place -- want to resist government overreach? You're going to get damaged.
On the other hand, if they all resist, who is the government going to retaliate against? The entire industry? It would be too great a hit to the economy.
So the question is whether Facebook, Apple et al are going to take the short view or the long view. If they let Google be the only one to stand up then maybe it will encourage the government to damage their competitor, but in so doing set the precedent that the industry won't stand together on issues like this, which can only make the government more brazen in the future.
On the other hand, if they all resist, who is the government going to retaliate against? The entire industry? It would be too great a hit to the economy.
So the question is whether Facebook, Apple et al are going to take the short view or the long view. If they let Google be the only one to stand up then maybe it will encourage the government to damage their competitor, but in so doing set the precedent that the industry won't stand together on issues like this, which can only make the government more brazen in the future.