Latest news with #FooYunChee
The Star
16 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Google offers to tweak search results to promote rivals, stave off EU antitrust fine, documents show
FILE PHOTO: A logo is pictured at Google's European Engineering Center in Zurich, Switzerland July 19, 2018. Picture taken July 19, 2018. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Alphabet's Google has proposed more changes to its search results to better showcase rivals in a bid to stave off a possible hefty EU antitrust fine, according to documents seen by Reuters. Google's latest proposal came three months after the European Commission charged the U.S. tech giant with favouring its own services such as Google Shopping, Google Hotels and Google Flights over rivals in breach of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The landmark DMA sets out a list of dos and don'ts for Big Tech aimed at reining in their power and giving rivals more room to compete and consumers more choices. Under Google's new proposal a vertical search service (VSS) selected on objective and non-discriminatory criteria would get its own box at the top of the search page with the same format, information and features as Google's, the document said. The box would contain three direct links picked by the VSS, to hotels, airlines, restaurants and transport. Other VSS, which are specialised search engines within Google, would be ranked below but without a box unless users click on them. "We do not agree with the (Commission's) preliminary findings' position but, on a without prejudice basis, we want to find a workable solution to resolve the present proceedings," the documents sent by both Google and the Commission to the rivals said. The rivals will provide feedback at a July 8 meeting called by the Commission. A number of rivals, who did not want to be named ahead of the meeting, told Reuters that the changes still do not go far enough to ensure a level playing field. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Susan Fenton)
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Google offers to tweak search results to promote rivals, stave off EU antitrust fine, documents show
By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Alphabet's Google has proposed more changes to its search results to better showcase rivals in a bid to stave off a possible hefty EU antitrust fine, according to documents seen by Reuters. Google's latest proposal came three months after the European Commission charged the U.S. tech giant with favouring its own services such as Google Shopping, Google Hotels and Google Flights over rivals in breach of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The landmark DMA sets out a list of dos and don'ts for Big Tech aimed at reining in their power and giving rivals more room to compete and consumers more choices. Under Google's new proposal a vertical search service (VSS) selected on objective and non-discriminatory criteria would get its own box at the top of the search page with the same format, information and features as Google's, the document said. The box would contain three direct links picked by the VSS, to hotels, airlines, restaurants and transport. Other VSS, which are specialised search engines within Google, would be ranked below but without a box unless users click on them. "We do not agree with the (Commission's) preliminary findings' position but, on a without prejudice basis, we want to find a workable solution to resolve the present proceedings," the documents sent by both Google and the Commission to the rivals said. The rivals will provide feedback at a July 8 meeting called by the Commission. A number of rivals, who did not want to be named ahead of the meeting, told Reuters that the changes still do not go far enough to ensure a level playing field. Inicia sesión para acceder a tu portafolio
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Google faces setback as EU court adviser backs antitrust regulators
By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Alphabet's Google faced a potential setback on Thursday as an adviser to Europe's highest court sided with EU antitrust regulators in the company's fight against a record 4.34 billion euro ($4.98 billion) fine levied seven years ago. The European Commission in its 2018 decision said Google had used its Android mobile operating system to block rivals. A lower tribunal endorsed the EU finding in 2022 but trimmed the fine to 4.1 billion euros, prompting Google to appeal to Europe's top court. Advocate-General at the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) Juliane Kokott, in her non-binding opinion, advised the court to dismiss Google's appeal and confirm the reduced fine set by the lower tribunal. "The legal arguments put forward by Google are ineffective," she said. Kokott dismissed Google's argument that regulators should compare Google with a rival in assessing the situation. "It is not realistic, in the present case, to compare the situation of Google with that of a hypothetical as-efficient competitor. Google held a dominant position in several markets of the Android-ecosystem and thus benefited from network effects that enabled it to ensure that users used Google Search," she said. Judges, who usually follow four out of five such non-binding opinions, will rule in the coming months. "Android has created more choice for everyone and supports thousands of successful businesses in Europe and around the world," a Google spokesperson said on Thursday. "We are disappointed with the Opinion which, if it were followed by the Court, would discourage investment in open platforms and harm Android users, partners and app developers." Regulators said Google's illegal practices dated back to 2011, as it required manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and its Chrome browser together with its Google Play app store on their Android devices. It paid them to pre-install only Google Search and blocked them from using rival Android systems. Google's Android system, which it lets device makers use for free, runs about 73% of the world's smartphones, according to Statcounter. The world's most popular internet search engine has racked up a total of 8.25 billion euros in fines linked to three investigations stretching back more than a decade, while other probes are ongoing. The case is C-738/22 P Google and Alphabet v Commission. ($1 = 0.8726 euros)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Google faces setback as EU court adviser backs antitrust regulators
By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Alphabet's Google faced a potential setback on Thursday as an adviser to Europe's highest court sided with EU antitrust regulators in the company's fight against a record 4.34 billion euro ($4.98 billion) fine levied seven years ago. The European Commission in its 2018 decision said Google had used its Android mobile operating system to block rivals. A lower tribunal endorsed the EU finding in 2022 but trimmed the fine to 4.1 billion euros, prompting Google to appeal to Europe's top court. Advocate-General at the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) Juliane Kokott, in her non-binding opinion, advised the court to dismiss Google's appeal and confirm the reduced fine set by the lower tribunal. "The legal arguments put forward by Google are ineffective," she said. Kokott dismissed Google's argument that regulators should compare Google with a rival in assessing the situation. "It is not realistic, in the present case, to compare the situation of Google with that of a hypothetical as-efficient competitor. Google held a dominant position in several markets of the Android-ecosystem and thus benefited from network effects that enabled it to ensure that users used Google Search," she said. Judges, who usually follow four out of five such non-binding opinions, will rule in the coming months. "Android has created more choice for everyone and supports thousands of successful businesses in Europe and around the world," a Google spokesperson said on Thursday. "We are disappointed with the Opinion which, if it were followed by the Court, would discourage investment in open platforms and harm Android users, partners and app developers." Regulators said Google's illegal practices dated back to 2011, as it required manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and its Chrome browser together with its Google Play app store on their Android devices. It paid them to pre-install only Google Search and blocked them from using rival Android systems. Google's Android system, which it lets device makers use for free, runs about 73% of the world's smartphones, according to Statcounter. The world's most popular internet search engine has racked up a total of 8.25 billion euros in fines linked to three investigations stretching back more than a decade, while other probes are ongoing. The case is C-738/22 P Google and Alphabet v Commission. ($1 = 0.8726 euros)
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Exclusive-Mars' $36 billion Kellanova deal faces EU antitrust investigation, sources say
By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Mars' $36 billion bid for Pringles maker Kellanova is set to face a full-scale EU antitrust investigation, people close to the matter said on Wednesday, a move that could require the candy giant to divest assets to address competition concerns. The European Commission, which acts as the antitrust watchdog in the 27-country bloc, is concerned about Mars' high market share in some products in some European Union countries, the sources said. Family-owned Mars is unlikely to offer remedies to assuage such concerns during the EU competition enforcer's preliminary review of the deal, which ends on June 25, the sources said. The Commission declined to comment. Mars and Kellanova did not respond to repeated emails for comment. Mars announced the deal in August last year that will bring together brands from M&M's and Snickers to Pringles and Pop-Tarts under one roof. There has been a wave of consolidation in the U.S. packaged food sector as companies seek scale to weather the impact of inflation-weary consumers cutting back on spending and shifting to private label brands. European retailers have voiced concerns about the deal, citing the power of large international suppliers of branded packaged goods and the high concentration levels in products such as breakfast cereals, carbonated drinks, confectionery and frozen desserts. They say such high market shares give large suppliers the power to impose restrictions and practices to retailers' detriment.
