The European Commission’s grasp of the e-commerce world is so weak, it doesn’t even ”fit with the reality” of how people actually shop online. And by the way, Amazon is where consumers go to compare prices, not Google. That’s the message Google sent to the commission yesterday in a blog post by general counsel Kent Walker.
The European Commission’s grasp of the e-commerce world is so weak, it doesn’t even ”fit with the reality” of how people actually shop online. And by the way, Amazon $AMZN is where consumers go to compare prices, not Google $GOOGL. That’s the message Google sent to the commission yesterday in a blog post by general counsel Kent Walker.
The commission is charging Google for anti-competitive behavior around three of its products, including its shopping comparison feature. Fines could run into the billions.
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Google’s post was published as the firm submitted formal responses to two of the commission’s charges. It said it would soon respond to the commission’s charges around Android, its smartphone operating system, which is seen as potentially the most serious of the outstanding cases.
Google’s missive was laced with condescension. The company schooled the commission on what it claims are the realities of online shopping. “We believe these claims are wrong as a matter of fact, law, and economics,” Walker wrote. Here’s Google’s argument:
Opposition to Google’s arguments sprung up immediately. FairSearch, a group that campaigns against Google and whose members include Nokia, Oracle $ORCL, Expedia $EXPE, and others, said: “When consumers look at Google ads they do not get the best, most relevant results. Instead, they get results from advertisers willing to pay Google the most money.”
Google appears to be digging its heels in for what looks set to be a protracted fight over its future in Europe.
