Antitrust suits threaten Google from both sides of the Atlantic

Google “alone decides what is relevant and what is the best response. And this has serious consequences, both for users and the economy. Nowadays, the wellbeing of a company can depend on where it appears on the list of Google search results, because that position directly affects sales,” Spiegel Online reports.

“The message Google has been at pains to communicate, that search results are neutral and objective, is belied by the fact that the company’s business model depends on monetizing its search results. Especially when it comes to searches for products and services, Google-Land is ruled by tangible interests, namely the company’s own,” Spiegel Online reports. “This has created an unhealthy situation in the online market, one in which Google can choose its own customers. The customers, for their part, have no choice but to ally with Google, and spend a lot of money doing so, if they hope to be successful online.”

Spiegel Online reports, “This alone is enough of a problem for many competitors, but it’s reinforced by the fact that Google never rests; it is constantly moving into new fields of business, using its size to its advantage. That, though, also increases the number of Google’s opponents, who accuse the giant of giving search-result preference to its own products, like ‘Google Maps’ and, in product searches, ‘Google Shopping.’ It’s both astonishing and telling that Google’s critics now come from so many different industries, including tourism, trade and publishing.”

Tons more in the full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “David G.” for the heads up.]

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