Google Battles the EU on Antitrust
Yair Cohen (@CyberLawExpert) founder of the London-based Cohen Davis Solicitors joins us to discuss the brewing battle between Google and the EU over Antitrust.
Background
2010: EU Opens Inquiry into Google Search
The regulators have focused on accusations that Google diverts traffic from competitors rivals to favor its own comparison shopping site.
- FTC rejected such charges in 2013.
- Reached settlement in 2014 that fell through.
- May 2016 reports that EU will seek €3 billion fine.
Europe Opens Antitrust Inquiry Into Google, New York Times (Nov. 30, 2010).
Europe Challenges Google, Seeing Violations of Its Antitrust Law, New York Times (April 15, 2015).
Google faces record three billion euro EU antitrust fine: Telegraph, Reuters (May 16, 2-16).
2016: EU Accuses Claims Promoting Google Search on Android May Have Violated Antitrust Laws
EU contends by requiring phone makers and operators to preload a set of Google apps, rather than letting them decide for themselves which apps to load, Google might have cut off one of the main ways that new apps can reach customer
One such example: Google denies access to its Play Store, with more than one million apps, to phone makers that don’t meet its requirements, including making Google the default search engine on their devices. Regulators say Europeans get 90% of their Android mobile apps from the Play Store.
EU Files Formal Charges Against Google Over Android Conduct, Wall Street Journal (April 20, 2016)
Google gets more time to counter EU antitrust charge on Android
2016: Adwords Inquiry
The Commission has asked Google rivals to share information related to search advertising with the tech giant, a step suggesting the EU competition enforcer could be poised to hit Google with a fresh charge, the sources said.
EU regulators readying third Google antitrust charge: sources, Reuters (June 28, 2016)
Is This Something Bigger than Google?
Google Is Target of European Backlash on U.S. Tech Dominance, New York Times (Sep. 8, 2014)
Why Google’s monopoly abuse case in Europe will run and run, Ars Technica (May 19, 2016)
How Europe Is Going After Google, Amazon and Other U.S. Tech Giants
Rich U.S. High-Tech Firms May Be Stifling Innovation, OECD Says, Bloomberg (June 16, 2016).
News
California Supreme Court To Review Yelp’s Case For Not Removing Allegedly Defamatory Reviews
Backpage Loses Battle with Senate Committee
CRS Report on Regulating Advocacy of Terrorism on the Internet
Shout Outs and In Memorium
U.S. Holocaust Museum/LMU Program on “Fueling Extremism on the Internet”
U.S. Holocaust Museum and Loyola Marymount University on “Fueling Extremism on the Internet” where this was very much part of the debate. Below is an brief segment with David Kaye, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, United Nations, and Professor, University of California, Irvine, School of Law, addressing the topic.
RIP Shimon Peres
The former Israeli Prime Minister died at the age of 93.
International Right to Know Day
Which is why reports like these out of Thailand are disturbing.
Today is Stupid Question Day
No kidding. Here is the origin:
During the 1980’s a bunch of teachers realized that their students weren’t asking questions for fear of sounding stupid. So they created a day dedicated to letting students ask the questions they were most ashamed of. By making a place that was safe for all questions, they were encouraging them to open up and share their curiosity with the class, without the fear of being ridiculed. Ever since then Ask a Stupid Question Day has been an annual tradition celebrated by American Schools everywhere, and has recently travelled into Britain and India.
And here are some downright stupid questions to play with.
Tomorrow Live Streaming Presentation on Social Media
On Thursday, I will presenting on “Ethical Issues of Playing in the Social Media Sandbox,” with my law school classmate Francine Ward at the State Bar Annual Meeting in San Diego. See the State Bar website for details and live streaming information.
