Google is under a new investigation for anti-competitive practices. Already watched very closely by many countries, the Mountain View firm must now face the German authorities.
The German competition gendarme says he is ready to impose limits on Google’s activities in the country.
The German antitrust toughens its tone
One more. While Google is drowning in legal proceedings, it is now Germany’s turn to launch a new investigation into the anti-competitive practices of the American giant. This Wednesday, January 5, 2022, the German gendarme has indeed paved the way for the implementation of Google activity restrictions on its territory.
The Federal Anti-Cartel Office, which a few months ago opened an investigation into the tech giant and its parent company Alphabet, believes that these companies have a ” significant market importance », Having a direct impact on competition. The German regulator indicates in a press release ” take action against specific anti-competitive practices by Google », In application of the law which entered into force last year strengthening its prerogatives over the digital companies which dominate the market.
Germany wants to regulate the activities of Google
Under this text, the competition police had launched investigations on Facebook, Amazon and Google. The decision targeting the Mountain View firm is the first to be rendered. The new law allows it to take immediate measures to prevent “unfair” practices, such as ” self-referencing of group services “On its platforms, or” preventing third-party companies from entering a market “. Given the weight of the company in my market, the German antitrust believes that this text can be applied to Google.
The Federal Anti-Cartel Office recalls that Google holds more than 80% of the market share in its sector and in fact ” occupies a dominant position in the general search services market in Germany and is the leading provider of search advertising “. The regulator also points to the influence of Google on the access of other companies to its users and advertising customers, in particular via YouTube, Play Store and Android, allowing it to ” set rules and conditions for other companies in the markets “. It remains to be seen whether this framework can promote the emergence of other search engines in the region.
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Source: Digital-Solutions
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