Google Gets Record-Breaking $2.7 Billion Fine For Manipulating Search Results

Google has simply lost its biggest regulatory battle!

Google has been hitting amongst a record-breaking $2.7 billion (€2.42 billion) fine past times the European antitrust officials for unfairly manipulating search results since 2008.

After a lengthy seven-year investigation that was launched inwards 2010 afterwards several rivals complaint, the European Commission on Tuesday imposed this 'biggest fifty-fifty fiscal penalty' against the network tech giant for breaking European Union contest law.

past times using its search potency to distort search-engine results to promote ain shopping comparing service at the transcend of all search results.

"Comparison shopping services rely to a large extent on traffic to live on competitive." European Commission says inwards a press release.

"The show shows that consumers click far to a greater extent than oft on results that are to a greater extent than visible, i.e. the results appearing to a higher house inwards Google's search results. More traffic leads to to a greater extent than clicks together with generates revenue."

The Commission says the amount of penalization has been calculated from Google’s income from its comparing shopping service inwards Europe. Google’s total revenue inwards the twelvemonth 2016 was simply about $90 Billion.

Apart from the fine, the Commission has ordered Google to "stop its illegal conduct" together with anti-competitive practices inside the 3-month deadline or warned to facial expression upwardly a farther penalization of upwardly to 5% of the average daily worldwide turnover of the Alphabet, Google's nurture company."

So straight off Google volition accept to alter its search ranking algorithm. However, the companionship tin every bit good appeal this conclusion inwards in European Union courts to delay the resolution for years.

"We respectfully disagree amongst the conclusions announced today. We volition review the Commission’s conclusion inwards exceptional every bit nosotros reckon an appeal, together with nosotros await forwards to continuing to brand our case." Google Spokesperson said inwards a statement.

Moreover, Google is currently facing ii other ongoing European Union antitrust investigations.

One says Google Android unfairly strength cellular telephone manufacturers to preinstall Google services to promote its products over rivals. Another investigation targets its AdSense business.

The previous biggest antitrust fine was against U.S. chipmaker Intel inwards 2009, which was €1 billion. 

Share This :