The news raises the stakes in almost antitrust most notorious which managed in Europe and could lead to billions in fines for Google if you do not change the way it does business in 28 countries in the group.
In announcing the decision, the Commissioner Competition Margrethe Vestager said he was “concerned that the company has given an unfair advantage to its own price comparison service”.
The separated on Android screening check whether the Internet giant depends on agreements anti competition and abusing its dominant position in the European mobile market, said the commissioner.
For years, the EU held talks on a possible deal with Google, but now the EU executive said the company did not address fully all issues of concern to the EU .
The most offensive route on the process could involve many years of legal battle, as well as fines of billions euros.
The EU can impose fines of up to 10 percent of annual income, or about $ s6.000 million , and force the company of Mountain View , California, to modify its system for recommending websites in Europe.
The main objective is to ensure that multinationals “ not deny artificially European consumers as wide a range of options as possible nor stifle innovation “Vestager said.
Google has a market share of around 90% of Internet searches in the EU, compared with about 70% having at United States. One in four companies who complained about Google it were signatures American rivals, said the commissioner.
“The domain itself is not a problem,” he said. “However, dominant firms have a responsibility not to abuse its powerful market position,” he said.
Google was bleached two years ago by US competition authorities on the same charges. The authorities were satisfied with a commitment to good behavior.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) then closed the investigation for violating competition rules stating that found no evidence of abuse of dominant position in search your engine.
Now the Commission decision was applauded by the complainants of Google. FairSearch, representing Microsoft, Oracle, Expedia or TripAdvisor , estimated that “creates a precedent” to better address the practices of Google. Icomp, another complainant, welcomed “a courageous decision” before a group that “believes above the law.”
In November, the European Parliament adopted by a large majority a resolution, non-binding and so symbolic for, requesting unlink search engines other Internet services offered by the same company, and thus suggesting dismantling Google.
Thomas Vinje, legal counsel FairSearch Europe said the decision is “a significant step towards ending the anticompetitive practices of Google, which have damaged innovation and consumer choice “.
Google dismissed the indictment filed by the European Union for abusing its dominant position in Europe as search engine on the net, and erroneously called upon to minimize its role to that of a simple gateway to the Internet.
The consumers have “more choice than ever before” about search engines and specialized shopping services, inter alia, Google said.
In a blog entry of its European entitled “The pursuit of damage,” Gogle notes that “respectfully but strongly disagrees” with sending a statement of objections.
“ While Google may be the most used search engine, people can now find and access to information in different ways, and allegations of harm to consumers and competitors, have proved erroneous “said Amit Singhal, vice president of the California-based company said in a statement placed on its official website.
He added that people realize now “with more options than ever” when you try to learn, thanks to the variety of search engines, specialized services, the growing use of social media, people who go directly to their favorite sites and mobile users to choose their web sites or apps “(applications).
In parallel, the Commission stated that it started an investigation into whether Google violated European competition rules with your Android OS for mobile phones.
“The Commission opened formal proceedings against Google to analyze in depth if the performance of the company on its operating system for mobile phones and Android applications and services for smartphones and tablets violate EU rules on competition “said the Commission.
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