Google Maps: Federal Cartel Office has initiated legal action

The Bundeskartellamt has initiated proceedings against the operators of the map service Google Maps. Those responsible for the app now have to answer for possible distortion of competition.

As a company with cross-market importance, Google falls under the expanded abuse control over large digital corporations that has been in force since the beginning of last year, according to Andreas Mundt, President of the Federal Cartel Office in an official announcement.

We are investigating reports that Google is restricting the combination of its map services with third-party map services. This concerns, for example, the possibility of integrating location data from Google Maps, the search function or Google Street View on non-Google maps. Among other things, we will now examine whether this practice could further expand Google’s position of power over certain map services.

Andreas Mundt, President of the Federal Cartel Office

It is the third ongoing case against the technology giant Google or the parent company Alphabet. The procedures initiated in May and June 2021 to review Google’s conditions for data processing and the practices of the news offering from Google News Showcase are currently still ongoing.

What’s next?

The Bundeskartellamt will question Google Maps competitors and customers in the next few weeks. If the Cartel Office can prove to Google that the group is intentionally restricting the ability to combine Google map services with maps from third parties, German case law could prohibit Google from doing exactly this in Germany.