The European Commission sent a statement of objections on Google Shopping comparison shopping service and open an investigation on Android, the operating system for mobile phones from Google.
After 4 years of proceedings, the offensive is finally launched. The European Commission has accused Google search engine of abuse of dominant position on Wednesday for “ unfair advantage its own price comparison,” Google Shopping, in its pages
Results
The European Commission has also announced the opening of a separate investigation of the applications running on Android, the operating system for mobile terminals of the US group, available as open -source. The Commission suspects including Google have forced or encouraged manufacturers using the Android operating system pre-installed applications and only Google’s services and have prevented develop and market the “Android forks”, these modified versions and potentially competing with its operating system.
Fine of $ 6 billion
About Google Shopping, the Commissioner sent a statement of objections to Google. It opens a procedure that can result in an amicable settlement or a fine in excess of $ 6 billion, or 10% of total global Google business. “ If the investigation was to confirm our fears, Google should bear the legal consequences and change the way it does business in Europe ,” said Margrete Vestager, the European Commissioner in charge of the case,
Google, which has ten weeks to respond to the Commission’s allegations, and may request a formal hearing, immediately responded on his blog seeking to demonstrate graphics to support that Google Shopping had not killed the competition, quite the contrary. “ We strongly disagree ” with this procedure, and “ look forward to discussing with the European Commission in the coming months ,” says Amit Singhal, Vice President the group of Mountain View.
The European competition watchdog mainly criticizes the US internet giant, which holds 90% market share in Europe, have since 2008 set Google Shooping forward, and its predecessor, Google Product Search, “ without regard to its performance level .” The Mountain View giant is also accused of not applying his service the system of penalties it applies to its competitors, to degrade their rating and therefore their classification in the pages of search engine search results.
The Commission originally identified four areas of concern, but decided to choose only Wednesday even though she said she was “ continue to investigate “on the other: a copy of competing web content called” harvesting “, the exclusive advertising, and undue restrictions on advertisers.
Google’s proposals retoquées
The investigation lasted four years. For years, under the leadership of former Commissioner for Competition Joaquin Almunia, the European Commission has sought ways of reconciling asking Google to offer “cures”. But the proposals advanced by Google solutions have already been retoquées by the Commission three times.
The plaintiffs, which include notably Microsoft, have called on the Commission several times to address a statement of objections to Google, saying the case had dragged on too. In late November, the European Parliament adopted by a large majority a resolution calling for the dismantling of Google, a symbolic text, but which put additional pressure on the group. The resolution called on the Commission “ to consider proposals to separate the search engines of other commercial services .”
What is a statement of objections?
This stage of the investigations conducted by the European Commission is to inform the parties concerned in writing of the charges raised against them. The companies concerned may then respond in writing and request a hearing, the Commission takes a final decision only after the exercise of the right of defense. As the Commission is subject to time, the investigation may last as long as it deems necessary. For Google, it was called there more than four years ….
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