Climate for Peace Film - Part2: Young Citizens Building Global Communities
The project #39;Young Citizens Building Global Communities #39; has been funded with support of the Youth in Action programme of the European Union. This publication reflects the views only of the...
By: sciint
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Climate for Peace Film - Part2: Young Citizens Building Global Communities - Video
The writing is on the wall, says The Wall Street Journal: To all appearances, the European Union is preparing to sue Google. The EU has been accusing the California-based tech company of antitrust and anticompetitive practices since 2010, and Google and the previous EU antitrust chief tried and failed three times to come to an agreement. But the new antitrust chief, Margrethe Vestager, has made it clear that she is not looking for a settlement from Google. As the The Wall Street Journal reports, Vestager wants a landmark case that will set precedent for how tech megacorporations operate in the EU.
Vestager has requested full, unredacted complaints from affected EU businesses and wants them within the week, which strongly indicates that formal antitrust charges are being prepared, antitrust experts told The Wall Street Journal. If the EU commission goes forward with a lawsuit, Google will likely face antitrust charges for altering search engine results to promote services in its interest (for example, listing Google Shopping sites higher than local businesses). Google has a staggering 90% dominance of all search in the EU, making it much more influential than it is in the U.S., where it currently holds 75% dominance, says Business Insider). Experts told The Wall Street Journal that it is easier to bring an antitrust lawsuit to the EU commission than to a U.S. court: Unlike in the U.S., where antitrust investigators must prove their case to a judge, the EU Commission acts as prosecutor, judge, and jury in competition cases.
Vestager, who took office in November 2014, isnt playing around: She has repeatedly indicated a preference for formal court proceedings over settlements in order to set legal precedent, and said that settlements should not be sought at any price, says The Wall Street Journal. If convicted, Google could be forced to pay as much as 10% of its annual revenue, which amounted to $66 billion in 2014. This is in line the $1.8 billion penalty that Microsoft paid out in 2012 after losing an antitrust suit to the EU commission, which charged the software titan with bundling Internet Explorer to secure browser dominance.
If Google does end up losing, it will be a scare story for the American tech titans that have operated in the EU with relative impunity. Though yet to be formally charged, Facebook was recently officially accused of explicitly violating EU privacy laws by continuing to track users who had opted out. President Obama in February dismissed the EUs antitrust claims in a Re/code interview, chalking them up to the EU playing aggressive politics in order to carve out space for its own businesses to flourish. In another sign that the EU has finally begun to play hardball with American tech companies, regulators have begun looking into Apples upcoming streaming music service launch, specifically whether Apple will use its music industry clout to steal talent from free streaming services (logically, from the king of free streaming, the Sweden-based Spotify).
[via The Wall Street Journal]
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The European Union Is Preparing To Sue Google, And It Wants A Fight
Within the next few weeks, the European Union (EU) will file antitrust charges against Google, which could result in a fine of up to $6 billion, the Wall Street Journal reports.
European Union antitrust officials have been looking into confidential complaints claiming Google is tweaking its algorithm to display its own products ahead of competitors in European search results.
To strengthen its case against the search giant, the European Commission has been asking for permission from companies to publish their confidential complaints.
Once the EU files charges, years of further investigation will follow. If Google and the EU end up not being able to reach a settlement, Google could then face fines and penalties. The EU would also be able to impose restrictions on Googles behavior in Europe.
The European Commission is seeking to fine Google up to 10% of annual revenues based on the previous years numbers that would amount to more than $6 billion. Google would of course have the right to appeal this case to the highest European court.
Regardless of the eventual outcome, which is likely years down the road, theres no positive spin to put on this. If nothing else, the lengthy legal battle will be a huge distraction for Google, as it is for any company facing antitrust charges.
Google was recently the subject of criticism in the United States after the Federal Trade Commission released a document detailing how Google ranks its own properties in search results ahead of competitors.
However, unlike in Europe, Google has the right to display search results however it wants in the US, which is not the case in Europe. Google is subject to tighter regulations in Europe, which is why the investigation against the company has escalated as far as it has.
Matt Southern is the lead news writer at Search Engine Journal. His passion for helping people in all aspects of online marketing flows through in the expert articles he contributes to many well respected publications across the web. Contact him via his website if you'd like him to write for you.
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Google to Face Antitrust Charges in Europe by @mattsouthern
Tuesday, 31 March 2015 18:42
BRUSSELS: The European Union announced a pledge of nearly 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) in humanitarian aid for war-torn Syria at a donor conference in Kuwait, double the amount the bloc promised last year.
"The needs are overwhelming and an extraordinary effort is needed by the wider donor community to mobilise significant funding," EU aid commissioner Christos Stylianides said in a statement.
"With our substantial contribution, the European Union -- Commission and the member states -- shoulders its responsibility to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people."
The money consists of 500 million euros in "humanitarian aid, early recovery and longer-term stabilisation assistance" from the European Commission, the executive branch of the EU, along with further increased pledges from the bloc's 28 countries, the EU said.
The overall pledge is twice that promised at the 2014 Syria donor conference, it added.
Kuwait's emir earlier announced $500 million for the Syrian crisis, which he called the worst in modern history.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon told the conference that the participants needed to raise a total of $8.4 billion: $5.5 billion for refugees and $2.9 billion for people still inside Syria.
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EU doubles Syria aid pledge to 1.1 billion euros
Jim Willie Collapse of the European Union 2015
This is part 2, here #39;s part 1 SUBSCRIBE (It #39;s FREE!) to our sponsor: Reluctant Preppers, Helping You Be Aware and Prepared http. Recorded October 7th, 2014 Broadcast live out of Crescent...
By: Laverne Lucas
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Jim Willie Collapse of the European Union 2015 - Video