German Justice Minister Heiko Maas mentioned the possibility of Google being shut down during an interview to be published tomorrow, Saturday, becoming the latest German official to attack the American Internet giant.
Google's dominant position on the Internet "does not make economic sense, it is not logical," the Social Democratic minister argued in an interview he gave to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) newspaper, which pre-published excerpts of it today.
"Imagine an energy group that would cover 95% of the market, the competition authorities would very soon mobilize," he noted.
"So yes, if Google abuses its dominant position to systematically marginalize its competitors, then at the last minute, something like closure will be considered," he continued, repeating an idea already put on the table by his colleague, Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel, also of the Social Democratic Party.
But "the digital world has long known no borders, it is too big for national rules to be imposed," acknowledged Maas, who called for an "international law for networks.".
Maas, whose portfolio also covers consumer protection issues, admitted in the FAZ interview that he uses Google services “every day” and “excessively.”
“Unfortunately, I am part of the problem,” he acknowledged.
Source: kathimerini.gr
