Does Google Harm Local Search Rivals? EU Antitrust Regulators Ask (reuters.com) 61
EU antitrust regulators have asked Google's rivals if the internet search giant unfairly demotes local search competitors, according to a questionnaire seen by Reuters, a move which could lead to a fourth case against the Alphabet unit. From a report: Google has been fined a total 6.76 billion euros ($7.7 billion) in the last 17 months for favoring its comparison shopping service and for using its dominant Android mobile operating system to reinforce its search engine market power. The European Commission, which took the world's most popular internet search engine to task for these two anti-competitive practices, is wrapping up a third case which involves Google's AdSense advertising service. The EU competition authority's interest in local search services followed a complaint by U.S. search and advertising company Yelp and rivals in the travel, restaurant and accommodation industries. Further reading: In an Open Letter To EU's Competition Commissioner, 14 European Shopping Comparison Services Say Google is Not Making the Search For Products Fairer.
I wonder what they'll say (Score:4, Insightful)
Who are they? (Score:2)
Who are these European search engines that are on par with Google?
Their closest competitor I know of is Bing by Microsoft and I wouldn't call them a local EU search company.
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https://www.qwant.com/ [qwant.com] is the only one
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The survey doesn't just take their word for it, it requires evidence of how Google has been stifling them.
For example, by requiring Google search to be the default on Android phones. Doesn't matter how much rivals offer to pay, because the phone needs Google Play and all the other stuff the default has to be Google search.
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I wonder what Google's rivals will have to say about Google's business practices. Why waste the time even sending out the survey.
I know right? What kind of an investigation actually asks all the people involved rather than just taking one side at face value. These Europeans don't know the first thing about how to do regulation. They should learn from America and just do whatever the lobbyists tell them.
local search services (Score:5, Insightful)
On the Internet there is no such thing as "local".
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Given the freedom of choice people in what was then the EU later selected Microsoft and Apple products.
They now enjoy the use of innovative US search services.
EU nation state bureaucrats can only create new ways to police, spy, tax, regulate and fine.
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EU nation state bureaucrats can only create new ways to police, spy, tax, regulate and fine.
Without an army to direct at others or your own people, this is actually *ALL* that governments are capable of doing.
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127.0.0.1 slashdot.org
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On the Internet there is no such thing as "local".
The hell there isn't, there is lots of 'local' on the internet. If I need a major repair for my car I'm not hitting the internet looking for the most price-worthy repair service regardless of where on the planet it is located, I'll hit the internet looking for the most price-worthy local repair service with a lot of positive reviews. The same goes for all sorts of other goods and services.
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What GP commenter meant was that since he never leaves his mom's basement, and orders in anything he could ever want on Amazon (parts for his gaming "rig", there are multiple brands of pizza rolls, and flavors of Mountain Dew, etc.), there is no "local" on his Internet.
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The Europeans don't actually care about whether the internet is "local." They care about whether the profits made from the internet are "local." Google makes a lot of money off search and advertising, which are naturally related fields of making people aware of things, but Google is a US-based company. The Europeans would like to see European companies make that money instead, so they have decided to try to investigate and legislate that wish into reality, bypassing more onerous routes of obtaining money
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So are you saying Silicon Valley is Galt's Gulch, and all the money should stream there? Or am I being narrow minded, since Amazon isn't headquartered in S.V.?
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Goes to: www.google.com
Oh look I ended up at www.google.de
Interesting. If the internet wasn't local why did I just end up on a customised server providing customised content based on my location?
yes (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes. That's the point.
People use what they want (Score:1)
This reminds me of the EU's issue with Microsoft and Internet Explorer. Can't tell me that people don't know how to download a different browser if they wanted one. Or find a different search engine to use, if they can because in some parts of the world the government decides for you. I think Google has too much control for sure, but its not inhibiting choice, its just that most choose Google.
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There is a bit difference between the two.
IE on every Windows PC, when IE was the Good enough browser that installing a competitor was not worth the effort. This caused website developers to focus on IE vs others, because the chances are they they will be on IE.
What lead to IE downfall was its overconfidence and sticking to IE 6 for way too long, and the implementation of Active X which opened the PC for massive security problems. That opened the door for Firefox and Google Chrome. Mostly because IE 6 suc
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Solution: Don't use Google maps.
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The governments of Europe want all businesses under their jurisdiction. Most European regulations exists to protect European businesses, because unfortunately continental European businesses quickly turn hyper-bureaucratic as they grow, and are unable to compete in Asia and the Americas.
The only business that EU tolerates is European-owned business. We can hardly blame them for trying, but their intentions are embarrassingly transparent.
Obligation? (Score:4, Insightful)
Look, I hate Google as much as the next guy, but why should it be ANY obligation of Google's to promote their competitors or treat them in any given way?
The internet has many search engines. There is zero barrier to simply visiting engine A instead of engine B. It is literally no harder than visiting any other URL. Use a different one, and let Google die the death it so richly, richly deserves.
Google has power because people give Google power. Stop doing that, and the problem will solve itself lickety split.
Re:Obligation? (Score:4, Insightful)
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Look, I hate Google as much as the next guy, but why should it be ANY obligation of Google's to promote their competitors or treat them in any given way?
There is no obligation for Google to promote their competitors. Their is obligation for Google not to promote themselves though the use of their market power. It's called anti-trust law. It prevents monopolies, something that America couldn't give two shits about doing despite it being just as relevant of a law over there.
The internet has many search engines. There is zero barrier to simply visiting engine A instead of engine B.
You may not have noticed but this has nothing to do with Google's Internet Search and everything to do with product specific search services. And if you care to start a product specific se
Local as wirhin the EU, or a country, or village? (Score:2)
I don't even know of any EU search engines. Unless thepiratebay counts.
Maybe the EU should build a giant firewall that redirects search requests to their search engines and make Google pay for it. /s
Of course then there is the problem of "local" search engines returning different results for French, Spanish, German,,, searches which would indicate preference to whatever skewed algorithms rhw EU creates to achieve "parity".
Reductio ad absurdum (Score:2)
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No, search isn't a natural monopoly. There's no reason network effects should exist.
That said, it seems very hard to displace Google, because they are a monopoly.
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Like Walmart hurts small shops (Score:2)
When Walmart moves in, many small shops go out of business because they can't compete with Walmart's prices.
BUT not ALL stores are harmed by Walmart. Some find ways to offer services or products that Walmart can't. For example:
- Car parts stores. You can buy some car parts at Walmart, but good luck trying to get help figuring out which one fits your car!
- Hardware stores. You can buy hardware at Walmart, but again, good luck getting help finding the exact tool you need.
- Specialty shops that carry a deep se