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Google Seeking To Promote Rivals To Stave Off EU Antitrust Action (reuters.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the nice-try dept.

Google is trying to boost price comparison rivals such as Kelkoo in an effort to appease European Union antitrust regulators and ward off fresh fines following a $2.7 billion penalty nearly two years ago. "The European Commission said Alphabet unit Google had used its search engine market power to unfairly promote its own comparison shopping service," reports Reuters. From the report: The company subsequently offered to allow price-comparison rivals to bid for advertising space at the top of a search page, giving them the chance to compete on equal terms. But competitors said the measure failed to create a level playing field. Earlier this month, Google introduced a new link on its search results which aims to drive more traffic to price comparison rivals. British competitor Kelkoo said on its blog that it was one of several companies selected to try out the new link which will initially be available in Germany, France and the Netherlands. EU antitrust enforcers could levy fines up to 5 percent of Google's average daily worldwide turnover if it fails to comply with the 2017 order.

39 comments

  1. Now THAT... by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    ...is the ultimate Sock Puppet.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re: Now THAT... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or hand puppet or strung puppet or muppet or claymation or stop motion animation

    2. Re: Now THAT... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Kendoll, who let you out? I'm getting hungry, go lube up.

  2. You killed them all by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uC6pPWVVXhg

  3. That or you? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Coming from you, that's high praise. You sound jealous AF

  4. Big fine... by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

    5% of daily turnover... that's 0.0137%
    $18 million maybe? That's all of Alphabet though.

    1. Re:Big fine... by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      Yeah, it's about $18 million. The question is how often is the fine assessed? If it's daily, that adds up quick (just over 1.5 billion a year). If it's one-time, I doubt it registers.

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
  5. The EU is just stupid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Bunch of greedy bastards

    1. Re:The EU is just stupid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, you're stupid.

    2. Re: The EU is just stupid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lol, the self delusion on slash is always good for a giggle

  6. Remember when by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Google wasn't Microsoft?

    1. Re:Remember when by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 1

      Damn. Ninja'ed by an AC, and no mod points to bestow.

      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
  7. This may work by slashmydots · · Score: 0

    They could literally pay me $100 to use Bing and I still wouldn't. This may not backfire for them in some product groups.

  8. Price Comparisson Sites Suck by rtb61 · · Score: 2

    I don't get it, those sites suck, they just seem to lead from one price comparison site to another in a big ole price comparison circle jerk, interspersed with some of the scummiest looking websites out they, often generating browser warnings about a known attack site. Google's bakes search results to favour it profits and worse than that it's politcs and the egos of it's executives and upon a broad scale. All they need do is start promoting alternate search engines, at government level. Stop using those companies services, direct the public to other services, there are really a quite simply series of steps to take. Look want to punish Google easy, block Gmail addresses on email and respond with an alert to the person attempting contact and provide alternates.

    --
    Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    1. Re:Price Comparisson Sites Suck by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's simple. This is protectionism/tariffs that's pretending to be something else. The EU doesn't give a flying fuck about users. This is about redirecting Google profits into homegrown European companies, scummy or not.

    2. Re:Price Comparisson Sites Suck by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Too little too late, and the enertia is still going forward. EU is correct in slapping them.
      Nobody is stating what is an acceptable performance metric, or take the high 98's towards the 60% mark. Utterly dominate is a truthful description. It's also pay to play, but also dishonest for consumers who do not see results sorted by price. Scroogle is not about to tell their advertisers they are NOT doing their absolute best.

    3. Re:Price Comparisson Sites Suck by coofercat · · Score: 2

      I generally find them pointless too, but (so the thinking goes), they won't ever be any use if we just let Google squish them all. Google will be the only game in town, and whatever they tell us is all we'll know because there won't be any other source of information.

      Whatever they are, they do seem to be able to run a business off what they do (albeit on razor thin margins and questionable utility), and so we should probably let the market decide if they're actually any good or not, rather than just leaving it to Google to decide for us.

    4. Re:Price Comparisson Sites Suck by ilsaloving · · Score: 2, Insightful

      If they suck, then so be it. But they should fail because they suck, not because Google is using deceptive business practices.

      This is exactly how Microsoft managed to effectively take over the computer industry.

  9. In other news... by easyTree · · Score: -1, Troll

    The Olympic Committee has said that going forwards, the rules for distance races will be modified to specify that runners will be required to slow down to allow their tardier competitors to catch up. If insufficient to ensure fairness, each such race will mutate to a hybrid distance running / piggyback format.

    --
    Requiem for the American Dream
    1. Re:In other news... by Vinegar+Joe · · Score: 0

      That's the EU in a nutshell.

      --
      "The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old......They literally know nothing." - Ben Rhodes
    2. Re:In other news... by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 2

      I mean, the better analogy is that they aren't starting the swimming events immediately after the marathon (and with the same participants). Because if they did Omar McLeod would be done with all of them (and possibly win the medals) before Michael Phelps got in the water.

      Anti-monopoly laws prevent you from using your dominance in one area (e.g. search) no matter how obtained, from dominating another (e.g. comparison shopping.)

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
    3. Re:In other news... by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      That's the EU in a nutshell.

      Yes it is because the EU is not the arbiter of a race where we're seeing which global megacorp can win getting to the absive monopoly position fastest.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    4. Re:In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      In related news, world governments have said that, going forwards, police forces worldwide are going to be dismantled so as to allow the the physically strongest to rob and rule over the meek as they please. Pure and healthy competition.

  10. Block the greedy JEWgle kikes like I do... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject & here's how: APK Hosts File Engine 1.0++ 64-bit for MacOS h t t p : / / a p k . i t - m a t e . c o . u k / A P K H o s t s F i l e E n g i n e F o r M a c O S . z i p

    Yields more security/speed/reliability/anonymity vs. any 1 solution (99% of threats use hostnames vs. IP address most firewalls use) more efficiently/FASTER + NATIVELY 4 less!

    Vs. "Bolt on 'MoAr' illogic-logic" slowing u hosts speed u up 2 ways: Adblocks + Hardcode fav. sites u spend most time @ vs. competition loaded w/ security bugs (DNS/AntiVir) + overheads slowing u (messagepass 'souled-out' to advertisers easily detected & blocked addons + firewall filtering drivers) & their complexity leads to exploitation!

    * ONLY 1 of its kind in GUI 4 MacOS!

    (Better vs. Windows model)

    APK

    P.S.=> Protects against ALL known & unknown vulnerabilities. Now supports port filters in hosts. My work is world-class & China copied it because they can't do better. I am God's gift to Slashdot... apk

    1. Re:Block the greedy JEWgle kikes like I do... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So, is this the real PITA APK or a fake PITA APK? I can't tell anymore.

  11. The EU by AHuxley · · Score: -1

    Always with the tax and penalty side of big government.
    How about letting people all over the EU select the services and products they want to use?

    --
    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    1. Re:The EU by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure. But how about destroying Google and jailing a bunch of the Googlers first?

    2. Re: The EU by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Googledouches are above the law.

    3. Re: The EU by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If they stay in their HQ and be quiet maybe. If they show up in the wrong country they will see how far above the law they are not.

    4. Re:The EU by dave420 · · Score: 1

      If a company is large enough it can prevent people from knowing about the alternatives.

    5. Re:The EU by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      People in the EU have the wealth and ability to start their own EU services.
      The "internet" is not some new thing that has to be exported from the USA to the EU.
      People in the EU are more happy to use an innovative US service than something someone in the EU attempted to design.

      What can EU nations gov do?
      Use language and police laws to force people in the EU to only use a EU created product/service?
      Demand people in the EU pay to use a product made in the EU?
      The US service is "free" for consumers and works well? Why should EU nations have to pay to use another EU nations products that are not as good as the better quality US service?
      No freedom and a selection of EU products that don't have the same ability of the US services?
      Only approve EU nations network products for use in the EU?
      Thats not free and fair trade with the USA.

      Most of this was attempted in the 1970's and 1980's. People all over the world used their money to buy better quality US OS and US software.
      Better quality games, the internet, productivity software and GUI all won over EU nation consumers to innovative and well funded US brands.
      Years later in 2019 US networks and now advanced and innovative US internet services are still winning over EU nations.
      The US brands understand computers and networks at the consumer level globally in 2019. The EU understands laws, rules, regulations and new taxes.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  12. Just remember who Donald Trump works for. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://www.ktvu.com/facebook-instant/ex-putin-adviser-who-died-in-us-had-broken-neck-reports-say
    https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/mar/16/report-ex-putin-adviser-who-died-in-us-had-broken-/

  13. Still IMPERSONATING me JEALOUS "Lil' Jowie"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    MacOS model's not done: Stop IMPERSONATING me lying & proof portfilter err's can't happen https://news.slashdot.org/comm... in my work!

    u ADMIT u have a /. acct & STALK me by UNIDENTIFIABLE ac https://hardware.slashdot.org/... - YOU got ISSUES.

    That's "best ya got"?

    u WISH u were ME (as ur POOR imitation = the sincerest form of flattery).

    WASTING ur life STALKING me by UNIDENTIFIABLE anon OR IMPERSONATING me?

    Make a Wheel https://isc.sans.edu/forums/di... as I did giving users more speed/security/reliability & anonymity NATIVELY doing more for less vs. ANY single 'solution' via the best hosts file multiplatform:

    APK Hosts File Engine 2.0++ 64-bit for Linux h t t p : / / a p k . i t - m a t e . c o . u k / A P K H o s t s F i l e E n g i n e F o r L i n u x . z i p

    APK Hosts File Engine 10++ SR-1 32/64-bit for Windows https://hosts-file.net/?s=Down...

    APK

    P.S.=> I BLOW U AWAY https://tech.slashdot.org/comm... + https://it.slashdot.org/commen... + https://yro.slashdot.org/comme...

    1. Re:Still IMPERSONATING me JEALOUS "Lil' Jowie"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The only thing you blow is over 200,000 truckers a year for free doing your part to advance the cause.

    2. Re:Still IMPERSONATING me JEALOUS "Lil' Jowie"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You blew it against APK again. APK's reply here totalled your dumb lie before it https://games.slashdot.org/com... where apk proved how stupid you are.

  14. Who is surprised by this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Just the EU making up laws out of whole cloth because they can't tax and spend enough am I rite.
    Since when has anti-competitive behaviour been a crime?
    --
    WindBourne

  15. Chrome bing thing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Duck duck no go!!!! I am a funny kind of character in Windows I use edge or ie with google search or duck duck, Chrome with bing as search and on Linux Firefox with Bing just to stir the pot. All Google has to do is change the default search engine for European user and the antitrust nonsense will vanish. Just make downloads available with all the search engines as a default and the assholes being bribed by Microsoft to harass Google in the EU will finally shut up.

    1. Re: Chrome bing thing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I get your point. Your timing was terrible and you have a huge gap in your arguments. Maybe once you realize nobody but me responded to your vapid and feckless blathering you will feel lucky.

  16. They are such transparent slime by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And I hope they get broken into a million pieces everywhere as a result of the EU action. This needed to happen many years ago. Anyone crying that the sky is falling if Alphabet is reigned in is either a snowflake, or a fool that has not observed the landscape for the past 15 years (i.e. the Republicans and others fighting regulation stateside). They just aren't that important, truly.