The European Commission has sent a Statement of Objections to Google alleging the company has abused its dominant position in the markets for general internet search services in the European Economic Area (EEA) by systematically favouring its own comparison shopping product in its general search results pages. The Commission’s preliminary view is that such conduct infringes EU antitrust rules because it stifles competition and harms consumers.
Sending a Statement of Objections does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation. (European Commission Press Release)
The competition commissioner said she had issued a “statement of objection”, stating that the firm’s promotion of its own shopping links amounted to an abuse of its dominance in search. Margrethe Vestager said Google now had 10 weeks to respond. (BBC)
