On Thursday, August 27th, 2015, the search giant Google responded to Europe's long-running antitrust investigation into its business practices. The company is betting a potential billions of dollars just to convince that Google is not evil.
In a blog post, Google's general counsel Kent Walker said: "Economic data spanning more than a decade, an array of documents, and statements from complainants all confirm that product search is robustly competitive."
"We don't think this format is anti-competitive. On the contrary, showing ads based on structured data provided by merchants demonstrably improves ad quality and makes it easier for consumers to find what they're looking for."
The dispute is about how Google handles all the listings of its services, and against those competitors that provide similar services. The search giant owns about 90 percent of all internet searches, giving others no chance of competing. And in the European market, Google is doing the same exact thing: conquering the market.
The antitrust investigation has been running for about five years, and Google is also facing the battle against a determined trans-Atlantic adversaries who are confident that the EU regulators are willing to strike against it.
Google can be fined with billions of dollars for its business practices if it loses the war, just like what has happened to Microsoft and Sun Microsystems before.
Spokesman for the European Commission Ricardo Cardoso, said that it would "carefully consider Google's response before taking any decision on how to proceed" and not "prejudge the final outcome of the investigation."
Before reaching this moment, the search giant has tried to satisfy the antitrust Commissioner in order to avoid the large fine that would come with an adverse ruling. An example was in February 2014, when an issued news released a saying that Google had filed a proposal in which the company agreed to display the services of three rivals when its promoting its own specialized search tools.
That approach has made Google to double its EU lobbying budget to 3.5 million euros ($3.9 million). "We want to do a better job of listening to Europe's concerns and explaining how our business works with Europe," said Google explaining the efforts.
Before, the Commission has properly defined the market into which Google has leveraged its overwhelming dominance in search, to power its shopping (price) comparison market. But still, competitors and the EU remain unhappy. According to Walker, these competitors are proof that there is ample competition in the European market.
In the shopping case, those against Google concluded that consumers have been harmed - and paid higher price - because the company is preferencing its own product-comparison service in its search results.
Related: Google is a Growing Dominance in Europe and the European Union isn't Happy
Against All Odds
Where big players have once failed, battling against the European Union seems to be useless by many. Other tech companies that have had their times against the EU know that it's more or less useless in telling whatever strategy a company has, once the EU tells them they're guilty.
The people at EU are experts in their fields, but they often hate seeing American companies invading their territory. Europe doesn't like big U.S. companies to dominate its markets.
Google realizes that after one antitrust, there'll be more to come. For example, concerning its Android operating system and its links to Google's services. These challenges the company's dominance in online advertising.
Google fight and will keep on fighting, although it clearly knows that the chances of losing the battle is in plain sight. What Google does is fighting for its principles, and against the dilution of its superior offering if compared to others similar.
This battle is what the California-based company had long hoped to avoid. This is because Google knows that it can be eventually hopeless for the search giant to go against the politico-economic union. But ever since the Europe's competition commissioner filed formal antitrust charges against Google, observer saw it clear that Google won't back down without a fight.
Further reading: Europe Against Google Privacy
