Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Twitter Announces Analytics For Tweets, Traffic & Buttons This week at TechCrunch Disrupt, Twitter announced Web Analytics to webmasters (and Tweeters) see how their content is being shared and how their […]
For quite some time European regulators seemed eager to crack down on Google simply because it was too big, too powerful. But now they may be signaling that bigness by itself may be legally acceptable, so long as regulators don’t find Google has “abused” that position. Yet abuse of Google’s search dominance is precisely what […]
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the FTC’s antitrust investigation of Google will extend to Android, in addition to general search: Six weeks after serving Google with broad subpoenas, FTC lawyers, in conjunction with several state attorneys general, have been asking whether Google prevents smartphone manufacturers that use its Android operating system from using […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google+ Poised To Become Number Two Network In 12 Months According To Survey A Bloomberg-YouGov survey of 1,003 online adults found that Google+ is on a trajectory to surpass other social […]
Hachette Livre, the largest book publisher in France, has reached a book-scanning agreement with Google (actually it did last year; this is an update). The New York Times reports that while other publishers in France are still suing Google for scanning their copyrighted material without permission, the Hachette deal may provide a framework for other […]
In what is becoming a steady parade of antitrust claims against Google in Europe, another complaint has been filed by a French company. This latest (10th) antitrust complaint was filed with the European Commission by a French daily deals site called “Deal du Jour.” The company claims “Google illegally removed its site from its web […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Direct Google’s Crawl To Your New and Updated Pages Today, Google launched a new way for site owners to request that specific web pages be crawled. How is this different from […]
Anonymous complainants have thrown more fuel on the antitrust fire. Additional complaints have reportedly been filed against Google with European regulators. According to Reuters, the total number of complaints now comes to nine. Previously there were four formal complaints before the European Commission: Ciao (owned by Microsoft) Ejustice.fr (which has also filed a civil suit) […]
Perhaps sensing “blood in the water,” a French company called 1plusV has sued Google in the Paris Commercial Court for the equivalent of $421 million. (The civil complaint was orginally filed on February 22, 2011.) An operator of vertical search sites, 1plusV is the corporate parent of legal search engine Ejustice.fr, one of three companies […]
On Friday Google confirmed that the FTC had launched a broad — really broad — investigation into its search and ads businesses seeking to determine whether the company was doing anything anti-competitive in the market. The news was immediately welcomed by some Google critics and competitors who believe the company is systematically abusing its power […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Googleopoly: The Definitive Guide To Antitrust Investigations Against Google We’re another step closer to the US Federal Trade Commission launching an expected antitrust investigation of Google. If it does, the FTC […]
We’re another step closer to the US Federal Trade Commission launching an expected antitrust investigation of Google. If it does, the FTC will join the EU and Texas in doing broad investigations. But Google’s been examined for antitrust issues many times before this and mostly come through OK. Here’s our comprehensive guide to Google and […]
The seemingly inevitable antitrust investigation of Google appears to be taking another step forward, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that the US Federal Trade Commission is “poised” to serve the company with subpoenas as part of a probe. Google may receive the FTC demands within days, and other companies may get similar requests asking […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google Boasts Of $64 Billion In Economic Impact In conjunction with National Small Business Week, Google is trying to burnish its image by touting the economic impact that its programs, including […]
The NY Times reports on Google’s charm (and spending) offensive in Europe to try seem less like an American intruder and more like a Europe-friendly purveyor of internet search and other services. Against the backdrop of an European Commission antitrust investigation and criticism from public officials and cultural figures alike, Google has been trying to […]
Following the revelation last week that the iPhone stored user location data a consumer class action was filed. This kind of disclosure/revelation-class action cycle is now familiar. And because Google also collects location data it is now also the subject of a similar class action (Brown et al v. Google) seeking $50 million in damages. […]
Bloomberg provides more evidence of a coming antitrust investigation of Google by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or Justice Department. We’ve now been hearing these kinds of statements and suggestions — from various “unnamed sources” and “people with knowledge of the matter” — for months. The Bloomberg article says that the ITA-acquisition decision could […]
In the past Microsoft has been accused of orchestrating third party legal complaints against Google like some behind-the-scenes Cardinal Richelieu or puppet master. But now Redmond has come out of the shadows and joined the list of companies that have filed formal complaints against Google in Europe. “Microsoft is filing a formal complaint with the […]
Google has agreed to have independent privacy audits over the next 20 years, to settle an FTC investigation into wrong doing over its Google Buzz product. The FTC has release a statement where Google agreed to allow independent audits of how Google handles privacy controls. After Google Buzz launched there was a lot of concern […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: The Yahoo Search Direct Alphabet: Where Every Letter Starts With Yahoo And you thought Google favored its own properties? Check this out: In Yahoo’s new Search Direct feature, 21 of the […]
Bloomberg is reporting that Ohio Attorney General (AG) Mike DeWine is the latest figure considering an antitrust investigation against Google. So is Wisconsin’s AG, but specifically around the proposed ITA acquisition. Texas is already conducting its own broad antitrust investigation against Google. Google is formally under antitrust investigation by the European Commission. In addition, Wisconsin Senator […]
In a case that could have EU-wide implications a Spanish court is asking Google to remove data about a private individual from its index. This is known in Spain and elsewhere in Europe as “the right to be forgotten.” The immediate case at hand involves a Spanish plastic surgeon who was featured in a critical […]
A report on mobile apps report released today by security firm Lookout is being used to discuss the relative sizes and growth of Apple and Google’s apps marketplaces. Called the “App Genome Report,” the much more striking thing it reveals is just how dominant Google is already in app-display advertising. Take a look at these […]
The effort to get Google to disclose more information about how it ranks sites and the details of its algorithm is nothing new. However that information, among other things, is now being sought by the Texas Attorney General’s office in conjunction with a broad antitrust investigation against Mountain View. According to Bloomberg: Texas Attorney General […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Instant Replay: Where To Find The Super Bowl Ads Are you one of those people who get upset when the Super Bowl gets interrupted by football or corny half-time events? You […]
Yes, Google might consider changing its ranking algorithm in response to an EU anti-trust investigation. However, that would fit in with Google’s general practice of changing its algorithm on a regular basis in response to anything the company thinks will improve its results.
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: A Plea To Make Your Links More User Friendly Have you noticed that it’s harder to find critical contact information these days? If you have a question about an online order, […]
Last week we reported on two extensive questionnaires being used by the European Commission to gather factual information as part of its antitrust inquiry against Google. Agencies, advertisers, ad networks and publishers are being solicited for their input through these documents. We obtained a copy of what appears to be the shorter questionnaire. In it […]
According to the NY Times, EU antitrust officials have developed a lengthy questionnaire directed to advertisers as part of its antitrust inquiry into Google’s business practices. Broadly speaking the 120 question document “seeks to ascertain whether Google manipulated search results and used its popular platform to keep business and disadvantage rivals in online advertising and […]
At a hearing Monday in Brussels, the European Commission issued a report calling for a 7-year limit on exclusivity deals that Google and other companies are signing with libraries and other cultural institution to digitize their material. At the end of seven years, other groups would be able to use the digitized works for commercial […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Googler Quits To Build Browser To Block Google Tracking TechCrunch reports Brian Kennish, a former Googler, quit Google a few weeks ago in order to build a browser that essentially blocks […]
The question of Google’s right to refer traffic to its own sites is once again in the center of policy debate. The European Commission is looking at this issue as part of its larger anti-trust investigation against Google. It’s also a question at the heart of the federal regulatory review of the ITA acquisition. Preferential […]
Will 2011 be the “year of privacy”? There are many reasons to think so. In the US, the Obama administration is planning to establish a committee or “czar” to oversee potential new internet privacy rules. Republicans and Democrats alike seem to be concerned about online tracking and privacy issues. The question would appear to be […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google AdWords Gets New ‘Click Type’ Report If you take advantage of some of the relatively new AdWords features like click-to-call, Sitelinks, and Product Ads, there’s a new report in your […]
The European Commission has opened a formal antitrust investigation into whether Google abused its market power and position in Europe. A number of complaints have effectively been consolidated in the action, which comes after a preliminary inquiry by the EC. The individual complainants include Microsoft-owned shopping engine Ciao, price comparison site Foundem and French legal […]
I did a search at Google today for “cars” and was shocked. Rather than list links allowing me to search for “cars” on Bing, Yahoo, Baidu, Voila, Naver and Yandex, Google instead favored its own search results. I’m glad the EU will be investigating whether this favoritism violates anti-trust laws. Consider the evidence. Here’s a […]
Just after Google announced the widely anticipated acquisition of travel data and software company ITA I was told by Google PR that European authorities weren’t going to get a chance to approve or disapprove the deal because ITA’s EU revenues were “too small” to qualify for scrutiny. Yet there are a range of actions and […]
European luxury goods maker LVMH (Luis Vuitton) sued Google in France over its AdWords policy allowing third parties, including LVMH competitors, to bid on its trademarked terms as keywords. The case originally arose when marketers bid on “Louis Vuitton” and turned out to be selling counterfeit Louis Vuitton items. The company won in France’s highest […]
Responding to Google’s aggressive assertion that Microsoft is behind many of the anti-trust complaints that have been leveled against Google in the recent past, Microsoft in a blog post by Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Dave Heiner essentially says “get over it.” Google claimed that Microsoft was directly or indirectly responsible for the anti-trust […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Want To Speak @ SMX Advanced London? Here’s How We’re especially excited this year because we’ve changed the format of SMX London to be similar to our always sold-out SMX Advanced […]