Google Faces an Accusation of Unfair Competition

Expedia and Tripadvisor, as properly as tourism business unions, accuse Google of unfair competition.

“Abuse of dominant posture”. This is what Google is – once again – accused of. Previous week, the Expedia and Tripadvisor platforms, as properly as numerous tourism business unions, accused Google of unfair competition in a letter resolved to the European Commissioner for Competitors, Margrethe Vestager. 34 providers and six tourism business unions from 10 countries have signed this letter.

In the assertion, the businesses complain that the American huge could abuse its dominant posture in on the internet searching in buy to market its have support: in this situation, holiday getaway rentals. “We are at present witnessing an endeavor by Google to broaden its dominance in the on the internet research for holiday getaway rentals,” writes the signatory providers. The European Fee and Google declined to comment.

Previous week’s letter was launched two days just before the very long-awaited hearings just before European justice in Luxembourg in a related situation, which Google is pleasing. The American huge was fined two.4 billion euros in 2017 by the European Fee for favoring Google Browsing, its home price tag comparison support, to the detriment of its rivals.

A sixty seven-web site complaint was also filed with the European Fee in March 2019 by a business primarily based in Germany, whose title has been withheld. The letter exhibits all choice-makers how crucial it is for the digital economic system to come to a decision on the problem of no matter whether or not to market its have products and services. The latter signifies two plaintiffs in the situation of Google Browsing, as properly as the business that filed a complaint in the situation of the holiday getaway rental web sites past spring.