The British competition watchdog said it is launching a formal antitrust investigation into Google's advertising and search services.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said it is trying to assess whether Google is complying with the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer (DMCC) law. Specifically, the commission will check whether the US company has what it refers to as “strategic market status” (SMS).
The DMCC law aims to prevent anti-competitive behavior in digital markets. If a company is found to have “SMS,” the regulator can impose changes to prevent anti-trust practices.
See also: FTC has launched an antitrust investigation into Microsoft
Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said the regulator was investigating Google's dominance in the search market to ensure a "level playing field".
“It’s our job to ensure that people get the full benefit of choice and innovation in search services — for example in how their data is collected and stored,” Cardell said.
Furthermore, the UK authority wants to bring about a level playing field for all companies involved in internet search: competing search engines, advertising companies, news organisations, etc.
«We want to ensure that there is a level playing field for all businesses, large and small».
Antitrust laws are designed to promote fair competition and prevent monopolistic practices.
Enforcing these laws is essential to maintaining a healthy market environment where innovation can thrive, while also protecting consumers.
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The antitrust investigation into Google is part of regulators' ongoing efforts to hold big tech companies accountable for their actions. There have been a number of similar cases in Europe recently, involving companies like Meta, Apple and Amazon. The companies are facing antitrust investigations and fines from various regulators.
The CMA's move follows an attempt by the US Department of Justice to force Google to browser Chrome, after the company was found to have a monopoly in the search market.
In response, Google had said in November that the DOJ's latest filing was "a radical interventionist agenda" that would harm the people of the US and the country's technological prowess in the world.
See also: Canada: Sues Google for anti-competitive behavior
The company says such a proposal would affect a range of Google products – even beyond web search. These products are used by many people who love them and find them useful in their daily lives.
Source: www.cnbc.com
