Google Placed Under Extended Abuse Supervision in Germany
January 05 2022 - 6:55AM
Dow Jones News
By Mauro Orru
Germany's federal cartel office ruled that Alphabet Inc.'s
Google should be subject to extended supervisory powers, ramping up
pressure on the company as probes into Google's processing of
personal data and its Google News Showcase service continue.
The cartel office, or Bundeskartellamt, said Wednesday that its
decision enabled swifter action against Big Tech, giving it powers
to prevent companies of "paramount significance" for cross-market
competition from engaging in what it perceives as anti-competitive
practices.
"This is a very important step since based on this decision the
Bundeskartellamt can now take action against specific
anti-competitive practices by Google," said Andreas Mundt,
president of the cartel office.
"We have already started to look into Google's processing of
personal data and to deal with the Google News Showcase issue in
more detail," Mr. Mundt said as the cartel office also conducts
other proceedings against Apple Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Meta
Platforms Inc.
The cartel office said in June last year that it would look at
Apple's influence on cross-market competition in a probe that will
focus on the magnitude of the company's technological and financial
resources, access to data as well as its App Store, and how it
influences the business activities of third parties.
Google won't appeal Wednesday's decision.
"People who use our products and services expect that we operate
a responsible business, and that we are regulated. We are confident
that we comply with the rules and, to the extent that changes are
necessary, we will continue to work constructively with the federal
cartel office to find solutions that enable people and businesses
in Germany to continue to use our products," Google said in a
statement.
Google is the main search advertising provider and holds a
dominant position in the market for general search services in
Germany, the cartel office said, meeting requirements to classify
Google as of "paramount significance" for cross-market
competition.
The authority opened a probe last May into Google's data
processing terms to ascertain whether users have sufficient choice
as to how Google employs their data.
Another probe into its Google News Showcase service followed in
June to ensure Google isn't discriminating against individual
publishers or squeezing out competing services offered by
publishers or other news providers.
Write to Mauro Orru at mauro.orru@wsj.com; @MauroOrru94
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 05, 2022 06:40 ET (11:40 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024