The European Commission (EC), a legal branch of the European Union, has claimed that Google is using unfair practices to direct search customers to its own websites, specifically shopping and hotel booking websites. The commission claims Google gives "systematic favorable treatment to its comparison shopping product in its general search results pages". However, with a range of search engines available to give choice to the European market, a number of commentators have queried the relevance of the EC's claims. A new report has been released which may shed some light on the commission's current stance.
The report, by
Comscore, an Internet analytics company based in Reston, Virginia, United States, suggests that while Google has 64% of the search market in the United States, its dominance is being threatened by an alliance between Microsoft's search engine Bing and Yahoo. For the first time, Bing now has 20% of the US search market, while Yahoo, which leverages Bing's search results, has 13%.
Figures such as these indicate an alternative to Google's search options which enable consumers to make a genuine choice between providers. However, the same report suggests that in Europe, Google is almost ubiquitous, with upwards of 95% of the desktop search market. In addition, Google has around 95% of Europe's mobile search market as opposed to an 85% share of the mobile share in the United States. This has generated the EC's concerns that Google is unfairly leveraging its dominance in the European market for its own gain.
What's your take on Google's European woes? Should Google be split up? Let us know your thoughts. Add your comments below.
