A group of tech companies, startups and publishers, has urged the European regulator to expedite the nearly two-year probe into Google’s search practices, citing that the European businesses are going bankrupt while regulators deliberate. According to a report by news agency Reuters, the coalition has sent an urgent letter to the European Union’s top officials, demanding that they impose a significant fine on the American tech giant without further delay.
“The European Commission’s credibility is on the line,” the coalition said, adding, “It is important that sustained pressure to dilute the DMA is not shown to have succeeded.”
“Every passing day further erodes the profitability of European companies, hampering their ability to invest and grow, with many already facing financial distress or even bankruptcy under the weight of Alphabet’s conduct,” they highlighted.
The letter was sent on Sunday, and addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera and EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen, the report said. The signatories include some of Europe’s most prominent media and technology organisations — among them the European Publishers Council, whose members include Axel Springer, News Corp, and Condé Nast — as well as the European Magazine Media Association, the European Tech Alliance, EU Travel Tech, the Initiative for Neutral Search, the Innovative Europe Foundation, and the German Startup Association.
What the European Commission has to say
The European Commission confirmed it had received the letter.
“The Commission aims to conclude this complex investigation as quickly as possible,” a spokesperson was quoted as saying.
Google has already made a series of proposals to address regulators’ concerns since charges were announced, but the company’s rivals and the signatories of Sunday’s letter say those measures fall short. Moreover, Google has denied that it favours its own services in online search results.
The investigation was launched by the European Commission on March 25, 2024 under the European Union Digital Markets Act (DMA), and is still going on. EU regulators have said they aim to wrap up DMA cases within 12 months. The Commission announced charges last year.
