Alphabet’s Google could be hit with another European Union (EU) antitrust probe after an online job-search company in Denmark accused the technology giant of unfairly favouring its own rival service, Reuters reported.
Google launched its service – dubbed Google for Jobs- in 2018, which was met with opposition from 23 dedicated employment search sites in 2019 due to a loss of market share. The companies claimed Google used its market power to push its own offering.
However, despite EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager stating the service was under her microscope, the regulator has taken no action as yet on the online-job search sector.
That could now change as one of the 23 websites took its grievances to the EU. Reuters reported Jobindex claims Google skewed a competitive Danish jobs market in favour of Google for Jobs, causing a loss in market share.
Jobindex founder and CEO Kaare Danielsen told Reuters it had built up the largest jobs database in Denmark by the time it entered the market, but shortly after Google launched in the country it lost 20 per cent search traffic.
“By putting its own inferior service at the top of the results pages, Google in effect hides some of the most relevant job offerings from job seekers. Recruiters in turn may no longer reach all job seekers, unless they use Google’s job service,” he explained.
Danielsen wants the EU to make Google stop the alleged anti-competitive practices and fine the company.
Google has been fined €8 billion by the EU in recent years over various alleged offences including ad-serving practices and unfairly favouring shopping services.
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