4 ms·

If google uses their dominant search position to make sure that only google place links are ever seen and clicked, others might have trouble providing any servi

by guyzero 12y ago

If google uses their dominant search position to make sure that only google place links are ever seen and clicked, others might have trouble providing any service at all which does not go through google. But Google isn't a gatekeeper. You can go to hotels.com or booking.com or kayak.com or any site you choose as easily as you go to Google search or Google Maps. In what way does Google stop consumers from using competitive services? Is simply having a more popular brand inherently anti-competitive?

grey-area 12y ago
Is simply having a more popular brand inherently anti-competitive? No, having a very popular brand (>80% of market say), and then using that brand to kill competitors in another market is anti-competitive. Google are not a gate-keeper for consumers, but they are for many kinds of business who want to be found on the net - they have no option but to try to reach the top of google in their domain, or in the case of this sort of move, actually pay for a presence in google results (because probably 90% of users don't look below this widget taking up most of their page).