FairSearch Statement on EC Google Investigation

Questions about Google’s search bias and other anti-competitive practices will not end if the FTC fails to take legally binding action to protect consumers and innovators in the U.S., where the market conditions and law are different than the EU.

In Europe, Google dominates more than 93 percent of the search market, and Vice President Joaquín Almunia has already identified Google’s biased display of search results among four practices that may constitute an abuse of dominance, and expressed his concern that Google’s mobile business may also be in violation of EU law.

Almunia has already signaled his willingness to take action on behalf of European consumers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to end Google’s abuse of dominance if the company refuses to propose meaningful ways to resolve the EC’s concerns. By bringing an end to Google’s anti-competitive practices, the European Commission would build on a record of leadership in global antitrust enforcement.