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

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.

Comments

I wonder what they'll say

[alvinrod]

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.

local search services

[Camel Pilot]

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

Re: local search services

[Freischutz]

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.

yes

[xxxJonBoyxxx]

>> Does Google Harm Local Search Rivals?

Yes. That's the point.

Obligation?

[Anonymous Coward]

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.

Re:Obligation?

[fluffernutter]

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.