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EU fines Google a record $2.7 billion for abusing product searches
The European Commission's long-running investigation into Google has finally come to an end, and it's not good news for the search giant. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager confirmed today that the company has been fined €2.42 billion ($2.72 billion) for unfairly directing users to its own products rather over those of its rivals. It's the biggest financial penalty the Commission has ever handed out, eclipsing the €1.06 billion ($1.4 billion) charge incurred by Intel back in 2014.
EU wants to make it easier for police to obtain user data
In light of recent terror-related attacks, the EU is looking to make it much easier for law enforcement to obtain data from tech companies like WhatsApp, Facebook and Google. The European Commission will propose three options, which will help guide future legislation put forth by the EU.
EU: Social networks are getting better at reviewing hate speech
Calls for Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft to get better at removing hate speech on their networks have partly been acted upon, the European Commission confirmed today. Officials noted that in the last six months, Facebook did a better job than its rivals at reviewing the most complaints within the 24-hour window agreed with the Commission a year ago.
Facebook fined €110 million for misleading EU over WhatsApp takeover
After months of deliberation, the European Commission has ruled that Facebook intentionally mislead officials over its ability to utilize data following its acquisition of WhatsApp in 2014. As a result, the social network has been fined €110 million ($122 million or £94 million) and becomes the first company to be penalized under the Commission's Merger Regulation law since it was introduced in 2004.
EU will push Apple, Google to treat app developers fairly
Spotify and other services aren't happy with being at the mercy of internet giants like Apple and Google. If those behemoths want to stifle competition, they only have to impose strict app rules or promote their own products over others. Well, the smaller outfits may get some government help with loosening that grip. In the wake of a complaint letter from companies like Spotify and Deezer, the European Commission has announced that it's readying "legislative instruments" to tackle the possibility of unfair contracts and trade practices. Just what those entail isn't certain, but the Commission has already offered some clues through the initial results of an investigation.
EE is trying to take credit for the EU's free roaming law
On June 15th, UK mobile operators will be forced to abolish roaming fees for customers travelling across Europe, thanks to a European Commission directive that's been two years in the making. Britain's biggest carrier, EE, must abide by the new law, but it won't let that stop it from taking some of the plaudits. Today, the company announced that it will "launch European roaming for all customers at no extra cost". The launch date? June 15th.
Amazon will no longer strong arm ebook publishers in Europe
The European Commission has accepted Amazon's changes to how it sells its e-books. Following a 2015 investigation over the retailer's anti-competitive behaviour, Amazon said back in January that it would change its ebook contracts, removing clauses that demanded the most favorable distribution deals. This encompassed release dates and promotions, in addition to the plain wholesale prices offered by publishers to Amazon. The Commission, following a period of feedback from the public and "interested parties" (so, other e-book sellers and put-upon publishers), has decided to accept Amazon's proposed clause changes, making the commitments legally binding. Amazon could be fined up to 10 percent of its annual turnover if it doesn't follow through.
Europe clears 21st Century Fox's purchase of Sky
21st Century Fox's £11.7 billion acquisition of Sky has edged a little closer to being a done deal today, as the European Commission approved the merger. The commission was assessing any potential competition concerns that might arise from the marriage of huge media company and pay-TV provider. It concluded that as the two firms "are mainly active at different levels of the market," the acquisition wouldn't have any significant impact on competition. It wouldn't be good business for Fox to withhold its films from Sky's competitors, for example, or for Sky to worsen its platform by carrying Fox's content exclusively -- not to mention regulations and existing contracts in countries where Sky operates prevent that kind of thing from happening anyway.
EU tool lets whistleblowers report anti-competitive companies
In a bid to surface more illegal tax deals and clamp down on shady practices like price fixing, the European Commision has launched a new tool to let whistleblowers anonymously come forward. The regulator has set up a tips hotline and a public email address (if the person doesn't mind being named) but now also hosts an encrypted web form that can "alert the Commission about secret cartels and other antitrust violations" while protecting a person's identity.
Europeans will get 'portable' streaming libraries next year
The European Union is supposed to be a big, borderless family of member states, but this concept is far from true in the online world. For several years, EU regulators have been working towards a "Digital Single Market" with the aim of breaking down some of the regional barriers. One success story is free mobile roaming across the EU, which comes into force this summer, and now various European bodies have agreed upon new rules that'll put an end to the geo-blocking of various online services like Netflix.
BT defends Google and Android in EU antitrust case
Google has found an unlikely ally in one of its many battles with the European Commission. As the Telegraph reports, UK telecoms provider BT has sent a letter defending Google's ownership of Android and the promotion of its own apps and services. While the exact wording is unclear, a spokesperson for the company confirmed its existence and the gist of its contents for Engadget.
ASUS is being investigated for price manipulation in Europe
In one of several antitrust investigations launched today, the European Commission has begun probing tech brands ASUS, Denon & Marantz, Philips and Pioneer for suspected price manipulation. As the press release explains, the Commission believes the companies may have broken competition rules by stopping online retailers in Europe from setting their own prices for products including household appliances, laptops and hi-fi equipment. The companies also stand accused of potentially influencing price tags on a broader scale, since many retailers use software that automatically changes product pricing based on what competitors are offering.
Amazon offers to change ebook contracts to appease EU
Amazon stands accused of abusing its position as the largest and most influential ebook provider in Europe. Back in June 2015, the European Commission launched an investigation into the company and contract clauses which force publishers to disclose when they have received more favorable terms from rival ebook providers. That, critics argue, is anticompetitive. The intricacies of the case are unclear, but Amazon is now willing to drop the clauses from its ebook deals in Europe. Specifically, it's offered not to enforce "any clause requiring publishers to offer Amazon similar terms and conditions as those offered to Amazon's competitors."
Apple and Amazon agree to end exclusive audiobook deal
For over a decade, Apple and Audible (an Amazon company) have enjoyed an exclusivity agreement that restricted the sale of digital audiobooks. The deal ensured that Apple would only source Audible releases and that Audible would only sell its work via one platform: iTunes. The practice has helped both companies hold almost unassailable positions in the audiobook market, which led to a complaint by the German Publishers and Booksellers Association (Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels) back in November 2015. After more than a year of discussions with German competition watchdog, the Bundeskartellamt, and with help from the European Commission, Apple and Amazon have agreed to terminate their existing deal, allowing Audible audiobooks to be sold via other digital music platforms.
Europe proposes stricter privacy rules for messaging apps
Less than a year after passing a strict set of data-protection laws, and the European Commission is already proposing some additions to bring them up to speed with the current reality online. As it stands, web services and communications apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Gmail and iMessage aren't subject to the same privacy rules that cover telecoms operators. If the commission's proposal is approved, Europe's ePrivacy Directive would be extended to cover those apps, while also adding some controversial new rules on how cookies are used.
Facebook accused of misleading EU during WhatsApp takeover
The European Commission is accusing Facebook of providing incorrect or misleading information during the Commission's investigation into its merger with WhatsApp back in 2014. It centers around the fact that Facebook told the Commission that it would be unable to reliably automate matching between separate accounts on the messaging app and the social network. (The EU even surveyed WhatsApp's rivals over the deal.) Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of EU competition policy, said: "Companies are obliged to give the Commission accurate information during merger investigations."
Ireland says EU overstepped authority over Apple tax bill
Ireland says the European Union overstepped its authority and misinterpreted the country's laws when it ordered the country to claim 13 billion euros ($13.59 billion) in allegedly unpaid taxes from Apple. The company will also reportedly dispute this figure later this week. It's by far the highest tax bill chased by the EU, and is one of multiple cases it's pursuing against corporate tax deals granted by EU countries. The commission says that lower tax bills create illegal "state aid", giving firms advantages over rivals.
Apple formally challenges the EU's tax demands
Apple is about to fight the European Commission's claims that it must pay the €13 billion in back taxes ($13.6 billion) it allegedly owes from its deal with Ireland. The American firm tells Reuters that it's planning to appeal the ruling this week on the grounds that it not only can't abide by the decision, but that the figures don't make sense. To start, Apple argues that the EC falsely determined that two of its business units existed solely on paper, and thus didn't justify their untaxed profits. They were real, actively managed companies, the company claims. Also, Apple reportedly can't comply with the decision without making Ireland violate past tax laws that had different rules for residents and non-residents.
EU to tech industry: Remove hate speech faster or we'll make you
Despite agreeing to crack down on the spread of hate speech across their networks earlier this year, four of the world's biggest technology companies aren't delivering on their promises, Reuters reports. A review conducted by EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova found that Facebook, Twitter, Google and Microsoft failed to flag and remove offensive content within 24 hours, with less than half of cases being responded to in that timeframe. If they don't improve their response times, new legislation could be introduced to force them to do so.
Kaspersky says Windows' security bundle is anti-competitive
Windows 10's bundled Defender security tool can be helpful for basic antivirus protection, but what if you prefer third-party software? The operating system normally steps aside when you run other programs, but antivirus mainstay Eugene Kaspersky (above) believes Microsoft still isn't playing fair. He just filed complaints in both the European Union and Russia alleging that Windows 10's handling of third-party antivirus tools is anti-competitive. The argument mostly hinges around when Microsoft switches you to Defender and the amount of breathing room given to other developers.
