FairSearch statement on proposed Digital Markets Act

Attributable to Thomas Vinje, FairSearch spokesman and legal counsel

15 December 2020

Although FairSearch supports the adoption of any rules that enable the European Commission to ensure that fair competition works to the benefit of consumers, companies and society in general, we would like to stress that existing EU competition law when properly enforced could also address the issues identified in the proposed Digital Markets Act.

FairSearch remains concerned that lack of enforcement of its competition decisions, including the ones already issued against Google, ultimately undermines the credibility of the Commission’s competition enforcement powers.

Note: in 2013 FairSearch filed the first EU complaint in the Android case against Google, and in 2009 its member company Foundem filed the first complaint against Google search. That became known as the comparison shopping case, and FairSearch is an intervenor in it. For a chronology of the cases against Google see here.

Media Contact:

David Lawsky

david.lawsky@fipra.com