BERLIN: Germany’s anti-cartel watchdog stated June 21 it has opened a probe into Google Maps over restrictions which may be giving it an unfair benefit over rivals.
“The proceeding is to examine possible anti-competitive restrictions imposed by Google Maps Platform to the detriment of alternative map services providers,” the Federal Cartel Office stated in a press release.
Andreas Mundt, president of the watchdog, stated it had motive to imagine that Google “may be restricting the combination of its own map services with third-party map services, for example when it comes to embedding Google Maps location data, the search function or Google Street View into maps not provided by Google”.
The transfer comes after the Federal Cartel Office in January categorised Google as an organization of “paramount significance across markets”, paving the way in which for the authorities to clamp down on any probably anti-competitive actions.
Parallel proceedings are already ongoing to look at Google’s phrases and situations for information processing and its information provide Google News Showcase.
An modification of the German Competition Act got here into power final 12 months, permitting the authority to intervene earlier, notably towards enormous digital corporations.
The watchdog has additionally categorised Meta, the corporate that owns Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, as an organization of “paramount significance across markets”.
Big tech corporations have been dealing with rising scrutiny across the globe over their dominant positions in addition to their tax practices.
The EU and Britain in March opened antitrust probes into a 2018 deal between Google and Meta allegedly aimed toward cementing their dominance over the internet advertising market. – AFP
