Antitrust Posts
European Commission, AGs Have Final Word, Not FTC
Friday, January 4th, 2013
As the dust settles after the Federal Trade Commission’s disappointing announcement of its settlement with Google, it is clear that the FTC will not have the last word in determining whether Google’s practices are illegal, and whether the company will have to change them. Google is expected to make a formal, detailed proposal to the Read more »
FairSearch Statement on EC Google Investigation
Monday, December 17th, 2012
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 Read more »
FairSearch Principles for Evaluating Remedies to Google’s Antitrust Violations
Monday, November 19th, 2012
The members of FairSearch have often been asked, what remedies are our members seeking to resolve the harms that result from Google’s anti-competitive search and business practices. Enforcing existing competition laws in the online context is vital to fostering greater innovation, lower-cost online services, and increased economic growth. As is becoming increasingly evident, this need Read more »
NYT: Growing Concerns Over Google in Mobile
Monday, November 5th, 2012
New York Times reporter Steve Lohr wrote about growing antitrust concerns over the legality of how Google operates in mobile on the newspaper’s Bits Blog today. Lohr writes that Android is a “gateway technology” for search and mobile advertising and that there are concerns Google could use its “free” Android software as a “sword and Read more »
Poll Finds Public Supports FTC Google Probe
Wednesday, September 12th, 2012
Today, FairSearch is releasing the results of a poll designed and fielded by The Tarrance Group, and commissioned by FairSearch, that found voters, including self-identified conservatives, support investigating allegations that Google has violated antitrust and consumer protection laws. The findings show that when consumers learn more about Google’s dominant market position, they overwhelmingly categorize the search giant Read more »
FairSearch Supports Rapid, Enforceable Changes to Google’s Anti-Competitive Business Practices
Tuesday, July 24th, 2012
The following is a statement by the FairSearch coalition responding to reports that the European Commission and Google may begin technical discussions over a potential settlement that could end the Commission’s 18+-month investigation of Google’s business practices for potential violations of EU competition and consumer protection laws. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and six state Read more »
FairSearch EU Counsel Thomas Vinje’s Statement on Google’s Proposal to the European Commission
Monday, July 2nd, 2012
It has been reported that Google has submitted a proposal to the European Commission in response to Vice President Joaquín Almunia’s offer to have the company propose remedies to the four potential violations of EU antitrust and consumer protection laws that Almunia identified after an almost two-year investigation of Google’s business practices. The following is Read more »
Google Must Have Amnesia About European Commission Concerns
Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012
On Monday, it was surprising to read that Google had “just started to look through the [European] Commission’s arguments.” Google has had many discussions with European investigators and more than 18 months to review the Commission’s concerns that its business practices may violate competition. Here is a quick recap of Google’s statements and actions throughout Read more »
What to Know About the European Commission Investigation
Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012
For the last 18 months, the European Commission has been investigating serious and credible formal complaints that Google is abusing its dominant position in online search and search advertising in violation of EU competition and consumer protection laws. The European Commission launched its formal antitrust investigation in November 2010 and reports indicate 16 or more Read more »
FTC Hires Former Justice Department Prosecutor for Google Case; Signals the Gravity of the Case Against Google
Friday, April 27th, 2012
The Federal Trade Commission has hired Washington lawyer Beth Wilkinson to serve as outside counsel in its case against Google, the New York Times reports, “sending a strong signal that they are prepared to take the Internet giant to court.” Wilkinson is a former Justice Department prosecutor who played a lead role in the government’s Read more »
