EU antitrust campaign against Google

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As of 2020, the European Commission has initiated three separate antitrust investigations against Google for violating EU competition law due to its dominant position. These cases have led to formal charges against Google related to Google Shopping , Google AdSense, and the Android operating system. So far, Google has been found guilty of antitrust law in cases related to Google AdSense and Android (operating system) and fined over € 8 billion.

history

The advent of digital markets (and these recent events) has raised the question of whether the existing competition rules are adequate to cope with the competitive challenges posed by the technological revolution.

Hence, dominance is not illegal under EU antitrust rules. However, dominant companies like Google have a special responsibility not to abuse their strong market position by restricting competition, either in the market in which they dominate or in separate markets.

Timeline

  • On November 10, 2010, the European Commission opened a formal investigation into Google's search algorithm after smaller web companies filed a series of complaints that Google downgraded the ranking of results returned in Google search results and preferred Google to its own products.
  • By the end of 2014, more than 30 European companies had asked the European Commission to register their complaints against Google.
  • On April 15, 2015, five years after the investigation, the European Commission published its first Statement of Objections to Google regarding the preferential treatment of its Google Shopping product (including Google Product Search) in search results.
  • On June 27, 2017, Google was found guilty and fined € 2.4 billion (approximately $ 2.7 billion). This is the highest fine imposed by the European Commission. Google has dismissed the European Union's allegations and issued a statement that "its services have contributed to the growth of the digital economy in the region". The fine accounted for just over 2.5% of Google's revenue in 2016.
  • On July 19, 2018, the European Commission fined Google € 4.3 billion (approximately $ 5 billion). Google replied it would appeal the fine, which it did in October 2018.
  • On March 20, 2019, the European Commission ordered Google to fine € 1.49 billion ($ 1.69 billion) for suppressing competition in the online advertising sector. It is the third antitrust fine against the search engine giant.

List of complainants

More than 30 European companies have registered their complaints against Google through the European Commission . The parts list contains the following:

Current status of the cases

The European Commission's conclusions on all three cases against Google depend on its dominance in certain markets that are directly related to abuse. They point out that Google has managed to use and consolidate its market power through anti-competitive practices on related (more or less powerful) online platforms.

As of February 10, 2020 - One case is active. Case number: T-612/17 - Google v European Commission.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Mark Scott: Europe fines Google € 1.49B in third antitrust case. March 20, 2019, accessed May 26, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Antitrust: Commission fines Google € 1.49 billion for abusive practices in online advertising. May 20, 2019, accessed on May 26, 2020 .
  3. ^ Press corner. Retrieved May 26, 2020 (English).
  4. ^ John Cassidy: Why Did the European Commission Fine Google Five Billion Dollars? Retrieved May 26, 2020 (English).
  5. ↑ Vivien Timmler: EU imposes a fine of 2.42 billion euros on Google. Retrieved May 26, 2020 .
  6. ↑ Google: European Commission imposes a fine of 2.4 billion euros. Retrieved May 26, 2020 .
  7. ↑ Alexander Mühlauer, Vivien Timmler: EU imposes a fine of 4.3 billion on Google. Retrieved May 26, 2020 .
  8. ^ Press corner. Retrieved May 26, 2020 (English).
  9. ↑ EU condemns Google to a fine of 4.34 billion euros - derStandard.at. Retrieved on May 26, 2020 (Austrian German).
  10. ↑ Google challenges record $ 5 billion EU antitrust fine . In: Reuters . October 9, 2018 ( reuters.com [accessed May 26, 2020]).
  11. ↑ Süddeutsche Zeitung: Google has to pay a fine of 1.49 billion euros. Retrieved May 26, 2020 .
  12. ↑ DER SPIEGEL: EU Commission fines Google 1.49 billion euros - DER SPIEGEL - Netzwelt. Retrieved May 26, 2020 .
  13. ^ David Reid: EU regulators hit Google with $ 1.7 billion fine for blocking ad rivals. March 20, 2019, accessed May 26, 2020 .
  14. ^ EU antitrust case against Google based on 19 complainants: sources . In: Reuters . April 24, 2015 ( reuters.com [accessed May 26, 2020]).
  15. ↑ Google and the six billion dollar fine (s): We have the technology, but do we have to rebuild the competition rules? April 18, 2019, accessed May 26, 2020 (American English).
  16. ↑ CURIA - documents. Retrieved May 26, 2020 .