Google creates its own antitrust woes with poor communication over search listings

Have an issue with your listings in Google? Getting an official answer might be tough. And when that happens to a Google competitor, as it did with ProtonMail, it could come back to harm Google’s defense from antitrust charges.

The post Google creates…

Microsoft Pulls Funding For Anti-Google Lobbying Group FairSearch

According to a report in Re/Code appearing last week, Microsoft has pulled financial support from FairSearch, an anti-Google “watchdog” or lobbying group that has been at the forefront of advancing European antitrust moves against the company. We sought comment from Microsoft when the…

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Report: EU Preparing To File Formal Antitrust Charges Against Google

Company could face billions in potential fines, up to 10 percent of revenue.

The post Report: EU Preparing To File Formal Antitrust Charges Against Google appeared first on Search Engine Land.

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WSJ Report Suggests Intervention In FTC’s Google Investigation By White House

Article asserts Google lobbying affected agency’s decision in antitrust case.

The post WSJ Report Suggests Intervention In FTC’s Google Investigation By White House appeared first on Search Engine Land.

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Android “Default Search” Class Action Against Google Tossed By Judge

Last week Russian search engine Yandex filed a formal complaint against Google in its home market, arguing that Google was using its control over Android and market power to ensure a privileged position for its apps on Android homescreens and handsets….

Strict New “Copyright Law” Forces End Of Google News In Spain

Google has decided to shut down Google News in Spain. This drastic step will occur next week and is the result of a recently passed Spanish law that would have compelled Google to pay licensing revenues to Spanish publishers if their content appeared in Google News — even headlines. Some…

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Oh No They Didn’t: European Parliament Calls For Break Up Of Google

Today many Americans are busy preparing Thanksgiving meals or getting ready to travel to the homes of friends and family to celebrate the holiday. But Google certainly won’t be giving thanks for the European Parliament’s vote in favor of a resolution to “unbundle”…

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German Legislator Calling For Google Breakup Has Serious Conflict Of Interest

The German member of the European Parliament behind the call to break up Google, Andreas Schwab, has a conflict of interest. According to the NY Times, he has ties to and earns money from a German law firm that represents anti-Google publishing interests in Germany. German publishers lobbied for…

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Europeans Have Authority To Seek Google Break Up Though Unlikely To Do So

Break Google up. That’s the thrust of a “non-binding” resolution the European Parliament is expected to adopt at some point in the near future, according to a report on Friday from Reuters. The recommendation is likely to be to separate Google’s search engine from the rest…

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Another Court Affirms Google’s First Amendment Control Of Search Results

Europe and the US continue to drift further apart on Google. Even as European parliamentarians and regulators seek ways to restrain Google’s discretion over search results, US courts continue to affirm Google’s right to do whatever it wants with search results — paid and organic….

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German Publisher Axel Springer: Loss Of Snippets Caused 80 Percent Traffic Drop

Axel Springer, Germany’s largest publisher and the owner of Europe’s largest newspaper, has said it wants back in to snippets. According to Reuters the German publishing giant revealed that traffic to its four largest online properties from Google search results “had fallen by 40…

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Google’s Eric Schmidt In Berlin: “Really, Our Biggest Search Competitor Is Amazon”

The attitudes of European policy makers toward Google seem to have hardened of late. On various regulatory fronts, Google faces vocal critics and well-organized opposition. Google’s Eric Schmidt gave a speech earlier today in Berlin seeking to change some of those hardened hearts and minds….

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To Avoid Liability, Google Limits German News Content To Headlines

German news and magazine publishers are determined, one way or another, to get Google to pay them for their content. They’re not upset about the content appearing in Google News or search. They want it to appear – they just want Google to pay for it. Google doesn’t want to pay….

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EU Antitrust Endgame Looking More Murky, Risky For Google

The Wall Street Journal added more color to the unfolding story of the collapse of the Google-European Commission antitrust settlement. Notwithstanding denials by outgoing competition czar Joaquín Almunia, it’s clear that pressure from major European publishers, rivals and politicians…

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German Official: Google Should Reveal Its Ranking Algorithm

One of the unanswered questions in the ongoing European-Google antitrust saga is what concrete changes or concessions critics want (or will accept) from Google. One of those things may have just come to light in a Financial Times interview with German justice minister Heiko Maas. Maas asserts in…

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Google’s Current EU-Antitrust Settlement Appears Dead

Without immediate, new concessions from Google it appears that the company will not be able to finalize an antitrust settlement with the European Commission before antitrust chief Joaquin Almunía leaves office in November. It’s almost certain that a stronger Google critic will succeed him…

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