Regulators in Europe are preparing to move against Google, and file charges against the company after a multi-year investigation into alleged anti-competitive practices by the search giant.
According to a report from the Wall Street Journal we might be just weeks away before formal charges are brought against Google who, according to the Union’s regulatory agency, has been abusing its dominant position in the industry with a negative impact on competition and consumers.
The investigation has focused mainly on the search business of the American giant, where the company holds over 90% marketshare across the EU, but the regulators are also filing charges with regards to other practices. One of the big issues on record is the accusation that Google scrapes content from rival sites and deals in an unfair way with advertisers and developers.
The company has constantly maintained that it is not abusing its power nor is it hampering competition, but at the same time it has offered the EU regulators a number of deal meant to appease their worries. However, the EU dismissed said proposals claiming they fell far short of the necessary steps to address the issues.
Though Google may still settle with the regulators, this is likely to be one of the biggest antitrust cases in EU history, only comparable to the actions taken against Microsoft, which ended up paying $1.8 billion in fines.
Source: WSJ | EU flags image courtesy of Shutterstock