• Google could face a $9bn EU fine for rigging search results in its favour | The Independent

  • The platform allows Google to act as an intermediary for websites such as online retailers, telecoms operators or newspapers. The Commission has warned of massive fines in both cases.
  • The company has also been charged with using its Android mobile operating system to squeeze out rivals and with blocking competitors in online search advertising related to its “AdSense for Search” platform.
  • The Commission’s tough line is in sharp contrast with the US Federal Trade Commission which settled its own web search case with the company in 2013 by requiring Google to stop “scraping” reviews and other data from rival websites for its own products.
  • The US company has in the past rejected the charges, saying that regulators ignored competition from online retailers Amazon and eBay.
  • The EU competition authority accused Google in April 2015 of distorting internet search results to favour its shopping service, harming both rivals and consumers

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.