Privacy-focused web search engine DuckDuckGo, which analysis firm Statista mentioned had a worldwide market share of 0.54 p.c in January this yr, urged the European Commission to open three further investigations.
Under the EU’s Digital Markets Act adopted in 2022, Google and 6 different tech corporations are required to make it simpler for customers to modify to rival providers and banned from favouring their merchandise on their platforms, amongst different obligations.
“The DMA has but to attain its full potential, the search market within the EU has seen little motion, and we consider launching formal investigations is the one solution to power Google into compliance,” Kamyl Bazbaz, DuckDuckGo’s senior vice-president for public affairs, wrote in a weblog.
The world’s hottest web search engine is already the goal of two DMA investigations associated to its app retailer Google Play’s guidelines and whether or not it discriminates in opposition to third-party providers on Google search outcomes.
Google mentioned it was working with business, specialists and the Commission and has made vital adjustments to its merchandise to adjust to the DMA.
“This consists of offering customers and companies with much more decisions about what providers they use. When customers use our providers, they anticipate their information to be protected. We is not going to compromise that belief with a view to give rivals extra entry to delicate information,” a Google spokesperson mentioned.
The Commission declined to touch upon DuckDuckgo’s allegations, saying it was absolutely dedicated to making sure the implementation and enforcement of the DMA.
Bazbaz mentioned one investigation ought to goal Google’s proposal to license anonymised search information to rivals directed at European customers, saying this information set probably excludes 99% of search queries, successfully making it ineffective to rivals.
“Google is attempting to keep away from its authorized obligation within the title of privateness, which is ironic coming from the Internet’s largest tracker,” Bazbaz mentioned.
He mentioned Google must also be investigated for allegedly failing to adjust to the DMA obligations to permit customers to simply swap to rival search engines like google and yahoo.
If corporations are discovered to have breached the DMA it will probably price them as a lot as 10 p.c of their world annual turnover.
© Thomson Reuters 2024
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