Posted on 11/30/2010 10:26:03 AM PST by SeekAndFind
BRUSSELS — The top European antitrust regulator opened an investigation into Google on Tuesday to examine allegations that the Internet giant has abused its dominance in online search.
he decision follows complaints by specialized search-related companies about “unfavorable treatment of their services in Google’s unpaid and sponsored search results,” the European Commission said in a statement.
The commission said it was also looking into whether Google might have given its own services “preferential placement” in search results. In addition to its search engine, Google has a growing number of other online businesses, including mapping, translation, video and electronic commerce services, many of which, like the search engine, are supported by advertising.
The investigation goes beyond the scrutiny the U.S. company has received so far at home. The authorities in the United States have been examining Google’s acquisitions and actions for indications that its market power may be anti-competitive, but have not brought any formal proceedings.
Google already faces separate antitrust inquiries in Italy, Germany and France. It has also faced criticism on other matters, including privacy and copyright protection, in a number of European countries.
Google’s powerful position on the Internet has been a particular sore point in Europe, where the company controls more than 80 percent of the online search market, compared with about 66 percent in the United States, according to ComScore, a research firm.
In its statement, the European Commission said it would “conduct an in-depth investigation of the case as a matter of priority,” noting that it did not yet have “proof of infringements.” The commission had opened an informal inquiry earlier this year.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
“The commission said it was also looking into whether Google might have given its own services ‘preferential placement’ in search results”
So what if they did? If you don’t like the way Google organizes its searches, use someone else. The world has an insane concept of what constitutes unjust business practices.
“the company controls more than 80 percent of the online search market”
Yeah, all businesses “control” a certain part of the market, until they don’t.
Go get 'em, EU. Not that you can do anything.
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