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Does Google Harm Local Search Rivals? EU Antitrust Regulators Ask (reuters.com)

Posted by msmash on from the tussle-continues dept.

EU antitrust regulators have asked Google's rivals if the internet search giant unfairly demotes local search competitors, according to a questionnaire seen by Reuters, a move which could lead to a fourth case against the Alphabet unit. From a report: Google has been fined a total 6.76 billion euros ($7.7 billion) in the last 17 months for favoring its comparison shopping service and for using its dominant Android mobile operating system to reinforce its search engine market power. The European Commission, which took the world's most popular internet search engine to task for these two anti-competitive practices, is wrapping up a third case which involves Google's AdSense advertising service. The EU competition authority's interest in local search services followed a complaint by U.S. search and advertising company Yelp and rivals in the travel, restaurant and accommodation industries. Further reading: In an Open Letter To EU's Competition Commissioner, 14 European Shopping Comparison Services Say Google is Not Making the Search For Products Fairer.

28 of 61 comments (clear)

  1. I wonder what they'll say by alvinrod · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I wonder what Google's rivals will have to say about Google's business practices. Why waste the time even sending out the survey. Either they've obviously broken some law, or the EU is just looking to legitimize their shakedown.

    1. Re:I wonder what they'll say by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      The survey doesn't just take their word for it, it requires evidence of how Google has been stifling them.

      For example, by requiring Google search to be the default on Android phones. Doesn't matter how much rivals offer to pay, because the phone needs Google Play and all the other stuff the default has to be Google search.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    2. Re:I wonder what they'll say by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      I wonder what Google's rivals will have to say about Google's business practices. Why waste the time even sending out the survey.

      I know right? What kind of an investigation actually asks all the people involved rather than just taking one side at face value. These Europeans don't know the first thing about how to do regulation. They should learn from America and just do whatever the lobbyists tell them.

  2. local search services by Camel+Pilot · · Score: 4, Insightful

    On the Internet there is no such thing as "local".

    1. Re: local search services by Freischutz · · Score: 2

      On the Internet there is no such thing as "local".

      The hell there isn't, there is lots of 'local' on the internet. If I need a major repair for my car I'm not hitting the internet looking for the most price-worthy repair service regardless of where on the planet it is located, I'll hit the internet looking for the most price-worthy local repair service with a lot of positive reviews. The same goes for all sorts of other goods and services.

    2. Re: local search services by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      you mean:
      127.0.0.1 slashdot.org

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    3. Re: local search services by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The Europeans don't actually care about whether the internet is "local." They care about whether the profits made from the internet are "local." Google makes a lot of money off search and advertising, which are naturally related fields of making people aware of things, but Google is a US-based company. The Europeans would like to see European companies make that money instead, so they have decided to try to investigate and legislate that wish into reality, bypassing more onerous routes of obtaining money like innovation and competition. The EU is very much a living caricature of the government in Atlas Shrugged

    4. Re: local search services by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      Europeans DO "get" the Internet. But they need to be disconnected from it so that they no longer get it. Preserve their local networks.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    5. Re: local search services by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      People living in the EU saw what France did with Minitel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... .
      Given the freedom of choice people in what was then the EU later selected Microsoft and Apple products.
      They now enjoy the use of innovative US search services.

      EU nation state bureaucrats can only create new ways to police, spy, tax, regulate and fine.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    6. Re: local search services by Cmdln+Daco · · Score: 1

      What GP commenter meant was that since he never leaves his mom's basement, and orders in anything he could ever want on Amazon (parts for his gaming "rig", there are multiple brands of pizza rolls, and flavors of Mountain Dew, etc.), there is no "local" on his Internet.

    7. Re: local search services by Cmdln+Daco · · Score: 1

      So are you saying Silicon Valley is Galt's Gulch, and all the money should stream there? Or am I being narrow minded, since Amazon isn't headquartered in S.V.?

    8. Re: local search services by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Goes to: www.google.com
      Oh look I ended up at www.google.de
      Interesting. If the internet wasn't local why did I just end up on a customised server providing customised content based on my location?

    9. Re: local search services by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      EU nation state bureaucrats can only create new ways to police, spy, tax, regulate and fine.

      Without an army to direct at others or your own people, this is actually *ALL* that governments are capable of doing.

  3. yes by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 4, Insightful

    >> Does Google Harm Local Search Rivals?

    Yes. That's the point.

  4. People use what they want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    This reminds me of the EU's issue with Microsoft and Internet Explorer. Can't tell me that people don't know how to download a different browser if they wanted one. Or find a different search engine to use, if they can because in some parts of the world the government decides for you. I think Google has too much control for sure, but its not inhibiting choice, its just that most choose Google.

    1. Re:People use what they want by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      There is a bit difference between the two.
      IE on every Windows PC, when IE was the Good enough browser that installing a competitor was not worth the effort. This caused website developers to focus on IE vs others, because the chances are they they will be on IE.

      What lead to IE downfall was its overconfidence and sticking to IE 6 for way too long, and the implementation of Active X which opened the PC for massive security problems. That opened the door for Firefox and Google Chrome. Mostly because IE 6 sucked so much that going to a different browser was worth the effort. If Microsoft kept IE current, chances are with the exception of those Linux and Mac users we would still be using IE. And Microsoft may had pushed to put IE on mobile devices as well.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  5. Obligation? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Look, I hate Google as much as the next guy, but why should it be ANY obligation of Google's to promote their competitors or treat them in any given way?

    The internet has many search engines. There is zero barrier to simply visiting engine A instead of engine B. It is literally no harder than visiting any other URL. Use a different one, and let Google die the death it so richly, richly deserves.

    Google has power because people give Google power. Stop doing that, and the problem will solve itself lickety split.

    1. Re:Obligation? by fluffernutter · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I think you have that backwards. The problem isn't that businesses don't have a search engine to use. The problem is that being highly ranked on any search engine besides Google is not going to make you visible on the internet. This means, in effect, Google controls what people see on the internet. If you don't mind having one company control how other people see your business then fine, but I can understand why that could be considered undue control.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    2. Re:Obligation? by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Look, I hate Google as much as the next guy, but why should it be ANY obligation of Google's to promote their competitors or treat them in any given way?

      There is no obligation for Google to promote their competitors. Their is obligation for Google not to promote themselves though the use of their market power. It's called anti-trust law. It prevents monopolies, something that America couldn't give two shits about doing despite it being just as relevant of a law over there.

      The internet has many search engines. There is zero barrier to simply visiting engine A instead of engine B.

      You may not have noticed but this has nothing to do with Google's Internet Search and everything to do with product specific search services. And if you care to start a product specific search service then having your service demoted in the worlds leading Internet search engine is not only a barrier, but it's a barrier created through the abuse of market power.

      Google has power because people give Google power.

      No, Google has power because of it's size, and you know what? That's actually okay. They can be big, they can have power. The only thing anyone cares about is if they abuse that power.

      Since Slashdot likes politics more than cars these days:
      The government has power. The people gave it that power. The solution is not to strip the power of the government but to put checks in place to ensure that the government can't unilaterally further entrench it's power, like e.g. A president who thinks he can wave his pen to change a constitution.

  6. Who are they? by jellomizer · · Score: 1

    Who are these European search engines that are on par with Google?

    Their closest competitor I know of is Bing by Microsoft and I wouldn't call them a local EU search company.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    1. Re:Who are they? by nonicknameavailable · · Score: 1

      https://www.qwant.com/ is the only one

      --
      Mendacem Memorem Esse Oportet
  7. Re:Google maps text labels @ zoom levels by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Solution: Don't use Google maps.

  8. Re:Europe vs american by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The governments of Europe want all businesses under their jurisdiction. Most European regulations exists to protect European businesses, because unfortunately continental European businesses quickly turn hyper-bureaucratic as they grow, and are unable to compete in Asia and the Americas.

    The only business that EU tolerates is European-owned business. We can hardly blame them for trying, but their intentions are embarrassingly transparent.

  9. Local as wirhin the EU, or a country, or village? by bobstreo · · Score: 1

    I don't even know of any EU search engines. Unless thepiratebay counts.

      Maybe the EU should build a giant firewall that redirects search requests to their search engines and make Google pay for it. /s

      Of course then there is the problem of "local" search engines returning different results for French, Spanish, German,,, searches which would indicate preference to whatever skewed algorithms rhw EU creates to achieve "parity".

  10. Reductio ad absurdum by Locke2005 · · Score: 1

    I'm a strong advocate of fair trade, but isn't search pretty much a natural monopoly to begin with?

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    1. Re:Reductio ad absurdum by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      No, search isn't a natural monopoly. There's no reason network effects should exist.

      That said, it seems very hard to displace Google, because they are a monopoly.

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
  11. Re: How fucking stupid are the EUdiots? by JillElf · · Score: 1

    This may be out of date but as of 2014, Android and Google Mobile Store did not have license fees. Manufacturers needed testing, from third parties NOT Google, to get the license to install Google Mobile Store. The third parties did charge for their services. https://www.theguardian.com/te... If this is a problem, I would think the EU is a big enough market with enough bright minds that they can roll out their own version of Android and create their own store. I'm sure somebody's brother would be delighted to get the contract. Who knows, it might make a great export and proceed to stomp all over Android (and Google).

  12. Like Walmart hurts small shops by Tony+Isaac · · Score: 1

    When Walmart moves in, many small shops go out of business because they can't compete with Walmart's prices.

    BUT not ALL stores are harmed by Walmart. Some find ways to offer services or products that Walmart can't. For example:
    - Car parts stores. You can buy some car parts at Walmart, but good luck trying to get help figuring out which one fits your car!
    - Hardware stores. You can buy hardware at Walmart, but again, good luck getting help finding the exact tool you need.
    - Specialty shops that carry a deep selection in one category, such as pool supplies.

    Many of the small shops that are killed by Walmart failed to keep up with changes in the way people do business.

    Innovate, or die!

    This is true for these "competing" search engines too. Offer something Google doesn't, or die. No, Google is not good at EVERYTHING.