BRUSSELS: Alphabet unit Google is set to be charged with breaching EU rules aimed at checking the power of big tech after proposed changes to its search results failed to address EU antitrust regulator’s concerns and those of their rivals, three people with direct knowledge of the matter said.
The European Commission has been investigating Google for potential breaches of the Digital Markets Act since March last year. One probe focuses on whether Google favours its vertical search engines such as Google Shopping, Google Flights and Google Hotels over rivals, and whether it discriminates against third-party services on Google search results. The imminent charges concerned this issue, the people said.
Google referred to a December blog post by its director, EMEA competition, Oliver Bethell, who said the company is working to find a balanced solution with the Commission. Bethell said more changes in Google’s search result format to appease rivals could result in the removal of certain helpful features.
The US tech giant has in recent months announced a series of changes to search result formats in a bid to address conflicting demands from price-comparison sites, hotels, airlines and small retailers. The majority of them have dismissed the proposals as not DMA-compliant.
EU antitrust regulators are also not happy with Google’s threat to bring back blue links in search results if it cannot resolve rivals’ demands.
The DMA prohibits Google from favouring its own products on its platforms or face fines of as much as 10 per cent of its global annual revenue.
Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2025
