Statement by Thomas Vinje, counsel to FairSearch

New charges against Google  

Brussels, 14 July 2016 – European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager has taken an important step towards prohibiting Google from illegally damaging competition, innovation and consumer choice by issuing two additional Statements of Objections, on search and advertising.

This demonstrates her determination to pursue the matter vigorously and to follow the investigation wherever it leads. Additional Statements of Objections have proved necessary in several other complex, high-profile cases against determined parties, including both Microsoft and Intel in the early 2000s.

These new Statements of Objections also show that the Commission intends to proceed as fairly as possible in these landmark actions. We are confident that the Commission will reach robust decisions prohibiting Google’s anti-competitive conduct and we urge it to act expeditiously.

At stake is fair competition across Europe and beyond, because the on-line market and innovation are global. Google’s actions have hindered the ability to compete for innovators and small- and medium-sized companies in Europe, the United States, and many other regions.

The European Commission press statement giving details of the Statements of Objections may be found here