Google – abuse of a dominant position

Allegations:
The EU Commission has found that Google abuses its market dominance as a search engine by giving an illegal advantage to another Google product, its comparison shopping service. Whereas rival comparison shopping services appear in Google´s search results on the basis of Google´s search algorithms Google´s own comparison shopping service is not subject thereto. The abuse affects all 13 EEA countries where Google has rolled out its comparison shopping service, starting in January 2008 in Germany and the United Kingdom. It subsequently extended the practice to France in October 2010, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain in May 2011, the Czech Republic in February 2013 and Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Poland and Sweden in November 2013.

Note: The Commission has found in two separate investigations against Google that the company also abuses its market dominance relating to the use of the Android operating system and its service AdSense.

Concerned companies:
The fines against Google Inc. and Alphabet Inc., Google´s parent company, amount to €2.42 billion. The company must end the conduct within 90 days or face penalty payments of up to 5% of the average daily worldwide turnover of Alphabet Inc..

Potential victims:
Competing comparison shopping services in the European countries listed above may claim damages.

Press statement of the EU Commission