EU anti-trust boss says Google fears are irrational
"Google has provoked a lot of emotions and in some cases irrational emotions," EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia told the Wall Street Journal.
"Google's critics claim the company will eliminate freedom, privacy, and rights but these claims are illogical," he said.
Google is being investigated by the European Commission in response to complaints that its search engine was squeezing out competition in Europe.
Google and Almunia have made three attempts to resolve the dispute, but in each case intense pressure by national governments, internet rivals and privacy advocates have scuppered their efforts.
Almunia, who steps down at the end of the month, told the newspaper he regretted that this investigation had been muddied by politics.
He added that the anger arose in part from the fact that European companies lagged so far behind US firms such as Google, Facebook and Amazon.
Google has said it is continuing to work with the Commission to resolve any concerns in its search engine software.
EU rules state that a company, if found to be at fault in an anti-trust probe, can be fined up to 10% of its annual sales, in Google's case about $55.5bn in 2013.
Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge
Source: I-Net Bridge
For more than two decades, I-Net Bridge has been one of South Africa’s preferred electronic providers of innovative solutions, data of the highest calibre, reliable platforms and excellent supporting systems. Our products include workstations, web applications and data feeds packaged with in-depth news and powerful analytical tools empowering clients to make meaningful decisions.
We pride ourselves on our wide variety of in-house skills, encompassing multiple platforms and applications. These skills enable us to not only function as a first class facility, but also design, implement and support all our client needs at a level that confirms I-Net Bridge a leader in its field.
Go to: http://www.inet.co.za
