EU: Almunia hints at position on Google in case updates

European Commissioner Joaquin Almunia offered an overview of several pending, high-profile antitrust probes Monday, emphasizing that online companies cannot be punished because it is “better, more successful, or even luckier than others.”

In his overview, Almunia said that “being dominant is not an abuse in itself, being a gatekeeper is not an abuse in itself either; but abusing these positions is.”

The remarks were made at the London School of Economics during a Public Lecture on competition in the online sector.

His remarks could hint at his position over Google, which is currently under investigation by the Commission and which has recently submitted its second round of concessions to settle the case.

Google is under watch for accusations of abuse of dominance in the way it presents search results.

More recently, some of the EU’s largest telecommunications firms came under fire over accusations they deliberately slow Internet speeds when providing Internet for rivals.

Full Content: Wall Street Journal

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