Following a fine of 2.4 billion euros imposed on Google by the European Union, the American firm has just agreed to comply with the EU competition requirements. The company is given 90 days to comply with the law, but does not specify how it intends to do so.
A few weeks ago, the European Union slapped Google with a record $2.7 billion due to unfair practices on the search engine market. The firm is accused of promoting its own price comparison service.
Following this sanction, against which even the law firm of Google has been unable to do anything, the search giant has just confirmed that measures will be taken to comply with the law and the requirements of the European Union. As requested by Brussels, Google is allowed 90 days to “put an end to this illegal behavior”.
The Mountain View firm will therefore make every effort to respect the policy of equal treatment between competing services and its own service. Thus, competitor price comparison services would be placed and displayed on the search result pages with the same methods as the Google service.
For now, however, it is unclear what exactly Google will do to achieve this fair treatment. The European Union leaves the American firm with the condition that it enters the nails before the end of the allotted time.
However, the regulator states that it will carefully check the solution chosen by Google. The slightest error will result in a new procedure, and Google will have to pay up to 5% of its worldwide sales. Similarly, the Open Internet Project, an association founded in 2014 by Google’s competitors, also plans to monitor Google to ensure it meets its commitments.
In other words, Google has an interest in keeping pace. In any case, the tech giant does not seem to intend to fight against European justice. The American no longer even plans to appeal, and seems resigned to submit to the demands of the Union.
The European Union, but also the countries that compose it, have a tooth against Google and are ready to do everything possible to take part of its attractive revenue.
