Google Only Improves Products Under Pressure, US Argues
- Search engine aimed to improve EU content after antitrust fine
- Proposal responded to EU launch of choice screen on Android
The catalyst was a 2018 EU antitrust order that forced Google to offer a choice screen giving Android phone users five search engine options to choose from.
Photographer: Marlena Sloss/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Google — under fire in court for allegedly resting on its laurels thanks to its 90% market dominance — only made an effort to beef up the quality of its search engine in the European Union after being hit by a record antitrust fine, according to internal documents revealed in the US Justice Department’s monopolization case against the tech giant.
The Justice Department is arguing at a trial in Washington that Google’s failure to improve its products - unless put under pressure - proves that it’s illegally maintaining its monopoly.