EU: Yelp, TripAdvisor launch new anti-Google campaign

Yelp and TripAdvisor are reportedly launching a new front against Google’s dominance in the EU as the European Commission continues its investigation into claims that the leader of Internet searches is abusing its market position.

According to reports, the two US companies are launching the “Focus on the user” campaign Tuesday to highlight how Google links to its own services in its search results. Claims of Google unfairly promoting its own services in its results were what lead the Commission to launch an investigation several years ago. With the Commission having confirmed that the proposed settlement with Google would no longer be accepted, the watchdog’s new competition chief Margrethe Vestager will now inherit the case.

In a statement, Yelp said that the company does not object to Google directly answering users’ questions, as Google claims in a blog post, but that it “object[s] to those answers being exclusively powered by Google| to the detriment of consumers.”

Google declined to comment on the matter, say reports.

Full content: Financial Times

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