EU: The European Union takes aim at American Tech Giants

The European Union is putting pressure on US tech giants such as Google, Facebook and even Apple in regards to the companies’ business practices and privacy settings. According to EU officials, the European Commission is close to formally filing antitrust charges against Google, and it is also stepping up its investigation of Facebook’s privacy policies.

The European Commission has been investigating Google for years. During this time, investigators have managed to collect many confidential complaints made by various European firms about the tech giant, and now the commission has begun asking for permission to go public with the testimonies.

Many experts believe that the EU will file formal antitrust charges against Google within just a few short weeks. The commission is reportedly preparing a document named Statement of Objections that is believed to be aimed at convincing Google to go for a settlement instead of making its way to court.

If Google and the Commission fail to reach an agreement, the EU could issue a series of fines and force Google to pay up to 10% of revenues from its last years, which stand at more than $6 billion.

Full Content: The New York Times

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.