By Foo Yun Chee
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Greater than 20 worth comparability web sites throughout Europe on Wednesday criticised Google’s proposed modifications to its search outcomes, saying they nonetheless fail to adjust to EU tech guidelines and urged regulators to impose fees in opposition to the Alphabet (NASDAQ:) unit.
Google has been discussing with the comparability websites, motels, airways, eating places and retailers for greater than a yr now on how one can adjust to the {Digital} Markets Act (DMA), which prohibits it from favouring its services on its platform.
Final month, it introduced its newest proposal, which incorporates expanded and equally formatted models to permit customers to decide on between comparability websites and provider web sites.
It might additionally convey again its outdated “ten blue links” format from years in the past as a substitute if it could actually’t agree with its rivals. This format is now being examined in Germany, Belgium and Estonia.
The worth comparability web sites, which embrace Germany’s Idealo and billiger.de, France’s Le Information, PriceRunner, Kelkoo and kieskeurig.nl and trovaprezzi.it, mentioned Google has not listened to their suggestions.
“Google has simply, repeatedly, ignored this feedback, and instead continued to iterate on the same non-compliant solution for months,” they mentioned in an open letter.
“If Google has not taken feedback into account after more than 100 events, it can only mean one thing: Google is wilfully not complying with the DMA.”
When requested for remark, Google referred to its Nov. 26 weblog submit the place it pointed to the numerous modifications it had remodeled the previous yr to adjust to the DMA and discover a answer.
The web sites known as on the European Fee to behave in opposition to Google.
“The Commission has opened proceedings against Google for non-compliance. It must proceed with such proceedings, issue preliminary findings, and impose fines on Google, including periodic penalty payments, to force Google to finally listen and comply,” they mentioned.
