BRUSSELS, April 15 (Reuters) – The European Union accused Google Inc on Wednesday of cheating competitors by distorting Internet search results in favour of its Google Shopping service and also launched an antitrust probe into its Android mobile operating system.
Following are the highlights of the EU news conference following the EU announcement:
EU ANTI-TRUST CHIEF MARGRETHE VESTAGER AT NEWS CONFERENCE
“Today’s statement of objections on comparison shopping is of course limited. But it is also the first place where we got a complaint that Google is favouring its product in search for the longest period in time. However, we will continue to look at Google’s conduct in other areas … If an infringement is proven, a case focusing on comparison shopping could potentially establish a broader precedent for enforcing EU competition rules in other instances of Google favouring its own services over competitive services.”
ON SCREEN DESIGN
“Just to be absolutely clear. We do not wish to interfere with screen design, with design choices (…) or how the algorithm works. Rather, what we would like to see, is that consumers are certain to see the best comparison shopping results.”
CONSUMER CONCERNS
“Our investigation so far has shown that when a consumer opens a shopping related query in Google’s search engine, Google’s comparison shopping product is systematically displayed prominently at the top of its results. This display is irrespective of whether it is the most relevant to the query.”
ON WEB SCRAPING
“There are other investigations as well. The Commission has previously expressed three other concerns as regards to Google’s conduct, that being the copying of rivals’ web content, also known as scraping, exclusivity in its agreement with advertising partners and undue restrictions on advertisers’ ability to use competing advertising platforms.
“We will continue actively to investigate these three concerns.”
ON ANDROID PROBE
“In particular we will address three different concerns. The first concern is that we will look into Google allegedly requiring or incentivising smart phone and tablet manufacturers to exclusively pre-install Google’s own application or services, in particular Google’s search engine.
“Second, we will look into the alleged bundling together of certain Google products with other apps and other services and thirdly we will investigate if Google is hindering the ability of manufacturers of smart phones and tablets who want to use the Android operating system from being able to use and develop other open source versions of Android.
“These issues are distinct from the Google comparison shopping case and the investigations will of course be different.”
ROAD FROM HERE
“For me the road from here is open because I would like to hear what Google has to say for itself and I think this is very important because the statement of objections is not the end.”
ON A POTENTIAL FINE
“I think it si very important that every road is open, both when it comes to commitments but also when it comes to the other road which is of course by the end of that, there is a fine.”
OTHER AREAS
“We are still actively looking into the other related markets, that means mapping, hotels, flights, in order to get a deeper understanding of this.”
GOOGLE IN OUR LANGUAGE
“It’s in our language, if you look for something you say ‘let me Google it’. It’s in our behaviour, it’s in the way we work because we find that these products work for us. I think you should congratulate a company that is so successful.
“But that being said, I think that it’s important that such a dominant position is not abused to (give preferential treatment to) your own product. Because then consumers will not be getting the best available choice when they do their queries.” (Reporting by Brussels newsroom)
HIGHLIGHTS-EU charges Google over shopping searches, to probe Android - Reuters
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