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A lot more information about the case is available here [0]. The ruling is about promoting Google Shopping results above other comparison shopping websites. The

A lot more information about the case is available here [0]. The ruling is about promoting Google Shopping results above other comparison shopping websites. The fine "has been calculated on the basis of the value of Google's revenue from its comparison shopping service in the 13 EEA countries concerned." [0] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_17_1784 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_17_...

yawaworht1978 5y ago
Interesting calculation. Did they deduct taxes paid, salaries and dev time? If not, this was a negative sum game for google. Would be very curious to know.
- AnssiH 5y ago
  If you are willing to read, here's the original decision PDF, including details about fine: https://ec.europa.eu/competition/antitrust/cases/dec_docs/39740/39740_14996_3.pdf https://ec.europa.eu/competition/antitrust/cases/dec_docs/39...
- brewdad 5y ago
  I should hope so. The whole point of these fines should be to prevent the behavior rather than just make it a cost of doing business.
- mtsr 5y ago
  Revenue, not profit, so that by definition doesn't deduct any costs.
- hulitu 5y ago
  Google does not pay significant taxes in EU. Just like other companies they use a lot of tricks to avoid paying taxes.
  - Crash0v3rid3 5y ago
    Sounds like the tax laws needs changing. I don’t know how we can blame companies from leveraging loopholes if they are available.
    - krzyk 5y ago
      How you fix a situation when a child company in Country A pays parent company in Country B a given amount for using logos, trademarks?
      - slavik81 5y ago
        Put a tax on licence fees for logos and trademarks.
    - josefx 5y ago
      It is less the tax laws and more the trade agreements between countries. Until a few years ago the biggest tech companies used a bit of creative accounting to make sure that all their EU profits would at least on paper be made in Ireland because it had the lowest taxes of all and Ireland had no reason to change that. The EU stepped in once it came out just how far the Irish tax office was willing to go to support that scheme, I think they outright allowed Apple to skip the pretense (and several shell companies) entirely while declaring their profits to be Irish.
keewee7 5y ago
One problem with these non-Google price comparison sites is that they don't always show the best or cheapest products but the products that give the best affiliate commissions to the sites.
- londons_explore 5y ago
  Even Google shopping doesn't show the cheapest results. It's a paid-for service, and the seller who pays most places first. There used to be a free and paid tier, but now it's all paid.
overkill28 5y ago
Quick- name as many other companies in this market as you can. Heck name a single product comparison shopping search engine.
- hawski 5y ago
  From the top of my head: Ceneo, Cenowarka, Idealo, Skąpiec.
- bduerst 5y ago
  Amazon, Ebay, Shopify pages, etc. It doesn't really matter because google shopping is (or was?) just search ads with pictures. Every item shown was set up and paid for in Ads IIRC.
- corecoder 5y ago
  Well, there are all those suggested by Google – oh, wait.
- mvdwoord 5y ago
  idealo.de tweakers.net/pricewatch .. in my corner of this earth. There were / are plenty. Google's idea of being the only game in town is mostly marketing for almost all of their products.
  - josefx 5y ago
    geizhals.de might also qualify.
    - sho_hn 5y ago
      Was going to post this: Geizhals is amazing, especially to understand and browse variants of the same product. Their database is wonderful.
- keewee7 5y ago
  PriceRunner is big in Denmark.
- 5y ago
whoknowswhat11 5y ago
There used to be a ton of shopping "comparison" and "review" site spam. There still is. For a while google shopping seemed better. I actually liked google's involvement. Then they seemed to turn into ads? Now I ignore it along with most of the others as I'm sure many folks do and just shop through a few places (which is only marginally better).
- jazzyjackson 5y ago
  i just resent that shopping links are at the top of every image search - jesus google, i’m not always trying to shop
  - brnt 5y ago
    > i’m not always trying to shop Seducing you into consumption is how Google makes money, isn't it?
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
  - CamperBob2 5y ago
    And let's not get into the horizontal scrolling UI abomination they've added recently.
- prepend 5y ago
  Froogle was better. I think if Google cares about product search quality then it would be good. Now it’s just a paid product rather than trying to organize and present info.
  - adamrezich 5y ago
    oh man, I'd forgotten about Froogle

yawaworht1978 5y ago

Interesting calculation. Did they deduct taxes paid, salaries and dev time? If not, this was a negative sum game for google. Would be very curious to know.

AnssiH 5y ago
If you are willing to read, here's the original decision PDF, including details about fine: https://ec.europa.eu/competition/antitrust/cases/dec_docs/39740/39740_14996_3.pdf https://ec.europa.eu/competition/antitrust/cases/dec_docs/39...
brewdad 5y ago
I should hope so. The whole point of these fines should be to prevent the behavior rather than just make it a cost of doing business.
mtsr 5y ago
Revenue, not profit, so that by definition doesn't deduct any costs.
hulitu 5y ago
Google does not pay significant taxes in EU. Just like other companies they use a lot of tricks to avoid paying taxes.
- Crash0v3rid3 5y ago
  Sounds like the tax laws needs changing. I don’t know how we can blame companies from leveraging loopholes if they are available.
  - krzyk 5y ago
    How you fix a situation when a child company in Country A pays parent company in Country B a given amount for using logos, trademarks?
    - slavik81 5y ago
      Put a tax on licence fees for logos and trademarks.
  - josefx 5y ago
    It is less the tax laws and more the trade agreements between countries. Until a few years ago the biggest tech companies used a bit of creative accounting to make sure that all their EU profits would at least on paper be made in Ireland because it had the lowest taxes of all and Ireland had no reason to change that. The EU stepped in once it came out just how far the Irish tax office was willing to go to support that scheme, I think they outright allowed Apple to skip the pretense (and several shell companies) entirely while declaring their profits to be Irish.

keewee7 5y ago

One problem with these non-Google price comparison sites is that they don't always show the best or cheapest products but the products that give the best affiliate commissions to the sites.

londons_explore 5y ago
Even Google shopping doesn't show the cheapest results. It's a paid-for service, and the seller who pays most places first. There used to be a free and paid tier, but now it's all paid.

overkill28 5y ago

Quick- name as many other companies in this market as you can. Heck name a single product comparison shopping search engine.

hawski 5y ago
From the top of my head: Ceneo, Cenowarka, Idealo, Skąpiec.
bduerst 5y ago
Amazon, Ebay, Shopify pages, etc. It doesn't really matter because google shopping is (or was?) just search ads with pictures. Every item shown was set up and paid for in Ads IIRC.
corecoder 5y ago
Well, there are all those suggested by Google – oh, wait.
mvdwoord 5y ago
idealo.de tweakers.net/pricewatch .. in my corner of this earth. There were / are plenty. Google's idea of being the only game in town is mostly marketing for almost all of their products.
- josefx 5y ago
  geizhals.de might also qualify.
  - sho_hn 5y ago
    Was going to post this: Geizhals is amazing, especially to understand and browse variants of the same product. Their database is wonderful.
keewee7 5y ago
PriceRunner is big in Denmark.
5y ago

whoknowswhat11 5y ago

There used to be a ton of shopping "comparison" and "review" site spam. There still is. For a while google shopping seemed better. I actually liked google's involvement. Then they seemed to turn into ads? Now I ignore it along with most of the others as I'm sure many folks do and just shop through a few places (which is only marginally better).

jazzyjackson 5y ago
i just resent that shopping links are at the top of every image search - jesus google, i’m not always trying to shop
- brnt 5y ago
  > i’m not always trying to shop Seducing you into consumption is how Google makes money, isn't it?
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
- CamperBob2 5y ago
  And let's not get into the horizontal scrolling UI abomination they've added recently.
prepend 5y ago
Froogle was better. I think if Google cares about product search quality then it would be good. Now it’s just a paid product rather than trying to organize and present info.
- adamrezich 5y ago
  oh man, I'd forgotten about Froogle