After the European Commission (EC) released a decision penalising Google for 2.42 billion euros in an anti-trust case, News Corp has breathed a sigh of relief over the verdict. The multinational newsgroup gave the Commission a pat on the back for doing such a bold stand against irregularities in the online sphere.
In a press statement on Wednesday, News Corp slammed Google for its 'shameless abuse' through its search engine, saying that the multi-billion dollar fine is just the pioneering step in fighting against the firm's online search dominance.
The EC's decision came after nearly seven years after Belgium lodged a complaint at the union over the search giant's unfair favouring of its own shopping recommendations in search results.
"Other regulators and companies have been intimidated by Google's overwhelming might", states News Corp, "but the Commission has taken a strong stand and we hope that this is the first step in remedying Google's shameless abuse of its dominance in search".
News Corp has stressed out that Google's control is a big concern. As a media conglomerate with a massive readership, News Corp has underscored that Google might have unfairly profited from their content. The organisation is also citing Facebook as another possible bully.
"We strongly believe that the abuse of algorithms by dominant digital platforms should be of concern to every country and company seeking a fair, competitive and creative society."
In a blog post, Google explained how the search results are presented stating that they come out according to a search's relevance. The search giant is firm that it is not taking advantage of their platform.
"When you use Google to search for products, we try to give you what you're looking for", states Google. Our ability to do that well isn't favouring ourselves, or any particular site or seller--it's the result of hard work and constant innovation, based on user feedback". Google has announced that it will consider an appeal and pursue making its case.
In mid-June, AFP first reported Google's incredible amount of fine as told by sources. The European Commission, meanwhile, has been accused of targeting US firms in its anti-trust campaign. Some US companies who are facing a similar before the EC Court include Apple, Intel, Amazon, McDonald's, and Starbucks.
So far, Apple had set the record for highest fine. In August 2016, the Cupertino giant paid Ireland 13 billion euros. Intel also paid 1.06 billion euros in fine for illegal monopoly schemes in 2009.
