Germany: Economy minister, Google chief face off

Google chairman Eric Schmidt traveled to Germany and met with its economy minister Tuesday, who reportedly warned the conglomerate that its dominant market position poses a threat to consumers.

According to reports, Germany’s Sigmar Gabriel said that while he admires the company for its accomplishments, he is also concerned that the company’s power harms competition and could undermine democratic rights, according to reports. The nation has signaled concern over Google’s market share in recent months, and tensions increased following revelations of US cyber-spying on German citizens.

Gabriel, who is also deputy to Chancellor Angela Merkel, also announced that he would send recommendations to the European Commission shortly on how to rein in Google’s market power, noting that he believes greater regulation is needed for the digital world.

The Commission is continuing its investigation into allegations that Google abused its market dominance.

Full content: Reuters

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