EU’s Vestager Says She’s Checking To See If Google Is Prioritising Its Own Search Tool Over Its Competitors

EU regulators on Tuesday said they are checking to see if Google is prioritising its fast-growing tool for job listings.

The tool which was launched in 2017 has attracted numerous complaints from rivals alleging anti-competitive behaviour. The big tech has been heavily criticised by competing firms concerning the same behaviour of ensuring it maintains a dominant market position in the search and advertising market. Its other competitors are dragging the big tech for giving its job listing tool a better placement ahead of over competitors.

23 job search websites ordered the European Commission to stop Google from the illegal practices while it investigates Google’s ad placement practices. Margarethe Vestager, European Competition Commissioner, who had in the past fined the big tech $9.2b accumulated in three years for anti-competitive practices voiced her concerns about the same “inappropriate”behaviour.

During a conference in Berlin, she said that the Commission may have to append control measures for technology companies to withhold them from misusing the power they have, pointing Google as a suspect that may be guilty of an old offence.

“We are looking right now at whether the same thing may have happened with other parts of Google’s business- like the job search business known as Google for jobs. There is also a broader issue for our societies, of whether we think it’s right for companies like Google and others to have such control over the success or failure of other companies, and be free to use that power in any way they like.”

If such exists, these companies may be wielding too much power to ensure they monopolise their power, causing them to discriminate and suppress their competitors. Vestager said in the conference that a regulation is what the companies need.

“If we don’t, then we may find that we need regulation, to make sure that these platforms use their power in a way that’s fair and doesn’t discriminate,” she said.

Earlier this month, Google said it would allow rival companies to bid for slots in search engine results. It announced that chrome will no longer be the default search engine for Android phones, as users will now have an option to select from four other options including Google.  However, the search rivals did not welcome the idea because they felt it was just another means to dodge a bullet from the EU, while securing another means to make money off its competitors.