Thread: EU Accuses Google of Abusing Its Internet Search Dominance

The European Union is accusing Google of abusing its dominant position in Internet searches, alleging the American technology giant is violating the 28-nation bloc's antitrust laws.

EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said Wednesday Google, which controls 90 percent of Internet searches in Europe, has systematically favored its own comparison-shopping product in its general search results pages, stifling competition. Vestager said such practices harm consumers by offering them fewer choices.

In a statement, the company said while Google is the most dominant search engine, Internet users have numerous ways to search for information and that "allegations of harm, for consumers and competitors, have proved to be wide of the mark."

Vestager said "if the investigation confirmed our concerns, Google would have to face the legal consequences and change the way it does business in Europe."

"Our investigation so far has shown that when a consumer enters a shopping-related query in Google's search engine, Google's comparison shopping product is systematically displayed prominent at the top of the search results," Vestager said. "This display is irrespective of whether it is the most relevant response to the query.''

Google has 10 weeks to officially respond to the allegations.

Analysts say the EU could fine Google as much as 10 percent of its annual sales, a penalty that could total more than $6 billion.

The European Commission has also opened a separate antitrust investigation into whether Google has entered into anti-competitive agreements or abused its position in the field of operating systems, applications, and services for smart mobile devices. Google is the company behind the widely used mobile operating system Android.

U.S. President Barack Obama has questioned EU efforts to curb the power of American technology companies.

EU Accuses Google of Abusing Its Internet Search Dominance

The euro wankers don't like competition from any where. Rock on google.

Originally Posted by peterpan

The euro wankers don't like competition from any where. Rock on google.

It's not about competition. It is about innovation.

Google will have to toe the EU line in the same way foreign companies doing business in the USA have to toe the US line. Go against them (the EU or the US) and you'll be fined heavily.

Google is the beast...

^You're not wrong.

"Our investigation so far has shown that when a consumer enters a shopping-related query in Google's search engine, Google's comparison shopping product is systematically displayed prominent at the top of the search results," Vestager said. "This display is irrespective of whether it is the most relevant response to the query.''

No sh*t, Sherlock. It's not a public service, and you don't have to use the recommendations at the top of the search.

^ Time for the US Governemnt to find some European companies to f*ck with in retaliation. Airbus is usually a good target.

What monopoly, there are many other search engines available, you can even use Google to find them.

Originally Posted by BobR

^ Time for the US Governemnt to find some European companies to f*ck with in retaliation. Airbus is usually a good target.

What monopoly, there are many other search engines available, you can even use Google to find them.

In a twisted subliminal manner, you're suggesting that the U.S. might defend Google's national honour because the corporate parasite is an American entity?

Convoluted. Illusional.

Mega-corporations, such as Google, have no reverence or sense of belonging to a nationalism/cultural pride. Corporations are sociopathic and self-returning, by their very nature.