Um inquérito da Comissão de Comércio Federal dos EUA antitruste irá examinar o coração do negócio de busca do Google de publicidade.
Reguladores dos EUA estão prestes a lançar uma investigação formal sobre se o Google abusa da sua posição dominante na web.
A Federal Trade Commission (FTC) está prestes a enviar intimações ao gigante da internet no que poderia ser a maior investigação dos negócios da empresa de busca, de acordo com o The Wall Street Journal. Tanto o Google como a FTC não quiseram comentar.
"Dado o nosso sucesso e a natureza perturbadora de nosso negócio, é perfeitamente compreensível que temos causado desconforto entre outras empresas e chamoado a atenção dos reguladores", os executivos do Google escreveram em um post no blog da empresa, após a investigação oficial europeia ter sido lançada, ano passado.
O jornalismo do blogue (este que você lê) experimentou postar uma reclamação sobre os cupons "gratuitos" que o Google adwords distribui por e-mail, no valor de cem reais, mas que só valem para contas novas, e uma conta de trinta dias já é considerada "velha". Ocorre que para se ativar uma conta nova, é preciso pagar 20 reais, num sistema pré-pago.
Wright disse que para os EUA conseguirem uma ação bem sucedida contra o Google, teriam que provar que a empresa prejudica os consumidores.
O Google enfrentou várias investigações antitruste nos últimos anos, e é já objeto de uma investigação similar na Europa. A empresa há muito tempo negou qualquer comportamento anticoncorrencial, argumentando que os usuários podem facilmente clicar em outras opções na web.As investigações da FTC são podem se estender a outras empresas com pedidos oficiais para obter informações sobre suas relações com o Google.
"Mesmo que as acusações sejam falsas, em última análise, eles vão ocupar muitas e muitas horas de gerências, tempo e atenção", disse ele.Ele disse que o Google enfrentou um maior risco no caso da UE, mas que em ambos os casos as investigações eram suscetíveis de ter um profundo impacto sobre a empresa.Yoo disse: "A realidade é que mudanças nas leis antitruste nos EUA tornaram as coisas mais difícei para o governo."Mas ele disse que as chances de o Google ser considerado culpado de comportamento antitruste, como a Microsoft foi, são muito menores. "Como estranho à causa, eu diria que há muito mais obstáculos hoje com relação ao Google do que naquela época com a Microsoft", disse ele.
Especialistas em Direito disseram que a investigação poderia ser semelhante em escala à maciça antitruste contra a Microsoft, que começou em 1991 e terminou em um acordo, uma década depois. O professor Joshua Wright, da George Mason Law School, disse: "A investigação será de uma escala comparável à da Microsoft.""Esta é uma grande dor de cabeça para o Google, mesmo que em última análise, vença nos tribunais", disse o professor Christopher Yoo, da Universidade de Pennsylvania Law School. "Os EUA e a UE compartilham informações frequentemente e estas investigações podem ser muito eficazes."Em novembro passado, a Comissão Europeia abriu uma própria investigação formal sobre as acusações de que o Google discrimina serviços de concorrentes em seus resultados de busca e impediu alguns sites de usar anúncios de concorrentes do Google.
O inquérito vai examinar o coração do negócio de publicidade de busca do Google, e fonte da maior parte da receita do Google.
O Google responde por cerca de dois terços das buscas em Internet nos EUA (e cerca de 90% no Reino Unido) e de acordo com os críticos usa o domínio injustamente para favorecer sua crescente rede de serviços.Uma ampla investigação sobre o Google tem sido discutida há meses.Nos inquéritos dos EUA, até agora, em grande parte limitados a revisões de fusões da empresa e aquisições.
Vieram umas figuras anônimas, escondidas atrás de apelidos (nicknames) defender o Google com unhas e dentes, mas nenhum argumento sólido. Nenhuma identidade clara, nenhum e-mail válido. Nos pareceu que eram agentes a soldo do próprio Google.
Aliás, o blogue existe desde 2007, e até hoje não alcançou US$100 em rendimentos com os tais Google Adwords. Por isso, eles foram reduzidos, e partimos para o patrocínio direto de empresas e outras entidades, a um custo módico mensal, mas sem intermediários. Afinal, não somos (mais) trouxas: mais de 600 mil acessos e nem um centavo recebido do Google! O blogue não é para enriquecer, mas tem de se pagar, e a receita miserável do Google não permite isso.
US Federal Trade Commission antitrust inquiry will examine heart of Google's search-advertising business, reports say
US regulators are poised to launch a formal investigation into whether Google has abused its dominance on the web, according to reports.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is days away from serving subpoenas on the internet giant in what could be the biggest investigation yet of the search company's business, according to The Wall Street Journal. Both Google and the FTC declined to comment.
A wide-ranging investigation into Google has been discussed for months. Google has faced several antitrust probes in recent years, and is already the subject of a similar investigation in Europe. In the US inquiries have so far largely been limited to reviews of the company's mergers and acquisitions.
The inquiry will examine the heart of Google's search-advertising business, and the source of most of Google's revenue. Google accounts for around two-thirds of internet searches in the US (and close to 90% in the UK) and according to critics unfairly uses that dominance to favour its own growing network of services.
Last November, the European commission opened its own formal investigation into allegations that Google discriminated against competing services in its search results and prevented some websites from using ads by Google competitors.
"This is a major headache for Google even if they ultimately prevail in court," said Professor Christopher Yoo of the University of Pennsylvania Law School. "The US and EU often share information and these dual investigations can be very effective."
Legal experts said the investigation could be similar in scale to the massive antitrust probe of Microsoft, which started in 1991 and ended in a settlement a decade later. Professor Joshua Wright of George Mason Law School said: "The investigation will be of a comparable scale to that of Microsoft."
But he said the chances of Google being found guilty of antitrust behaviour, as Microsoft was, were far smaller. Wright said for the US to bring a successful case against Google, it would have to prove the company was harming consumers. "As an outsider I would say that obstacle is far higher for them today with Google than it was back then with Microsoft," he said.
Yoo said: "The reality is that changes in antitrust laws in the US have made it much harder for the government to prevail."
He said Google faced a higher risk in the EU case but that in either case the investigations were likely to have a profound impact on the firm.
The blog's journalism (this one you read now) tried posting a complaint about the "free" Adwords coupons Google distributes by e-mail, worth R$100, but valid only for new accounts, and a thirty-day-old account is considered "old". It happens that to activate a new account, one must pay R$20, in a pre-paid system.
Some anonymous people appeared, concealed behind nicknames, fiercely defending Google, but no solid argument. No clear identity, no valid e-mail. We had the impression that they were Google agents.
Actually, this blogue exists since 2007, and to date it hasn't reached a mere US$100 from Google Adwords. For this reason, they were reduced, and we started with direct sponsorship by companies and other institutions, at a reasonable monthly cost, but with no intermediaries.
Eventually, we ain't no fools (anymore): over 600 thousand page vists and not a dime from Google! The blog is not to make us rich, but it must pay itself, and the miserable income from Google does not allow it.
A wide-ranging investigation into Google has been discussed for months. Google has faced several antitrust probes in recent years, and is already the subject of a similar investigation in Europe. In the US inquiries have so far largely been limited to reviews of the company's mergers and acquisitions.
The inquiry will examine the heart of Google's search-advertising business, and the source of most of Google's revenue. Google accounts for around two-thirds of internet searches in the US (and close to 90% in the UK) and according to critics unfairly uses that dominance to favour its own growing network of services.
Last November, the European commission opened its own formal investigation into allegations that Google discriminated against competing services in its search results and prevented some websites from using ads by Google competitors.
"This is a major headache for Google even if they ultimately prevail in court," said Professor Christopher Yoo of the University of Pennsylvania Law School. "The US and EU often share information and these dual investigations can be very effective."
Legal experts said the investigation could be similar in scale to the massive antitrust probe of Microsoft, which started in 1991 and ended in a settlement a decade later. Professor Joshua Wright of George Mason Law School said: "The investigation will be of a comparable scale to that of Microsoft."
But he said the chances of Google being found guilty of antitrust behaviour, as Microsoft was, were far smaller. Wright said for the US to bring a successful case against Google, it would have to prove the company was harming consumers. "As an outsider I would say that obstacle is far higher for them today with Google than it was back then with Microsoft," he said.
Yoo said: "The reality is that changes in antitrust laws in the US have made it much harder for the government to prevail."
He said Google faced a higher risk in the EU case but that in either case the investigations were likely to have a profound impact on the firm.
"Even if the charges are ultimately bogus, they will occupy many, many hours of managements time and attention," he said.
The FTC's investigations are likely to widen to other companies as official requests for information about their dealings with Google.
The company has long denied any anticompetitive behaviour, arguing that users can easily click on other choices on the web.
"Given our success and the disruptive nature of our business, it's entirely understandable that we've caused unease among other companies and caught the attention of regulators," Google executives wrote in a company blog post after the official European probe was launched last year.The blog's journalism (this one you read now) tried posting a complaint about the "free" Adwords coupons Google distributes by e-mail, worth R$100, but valid only for new accounts, and a thirty-day-old account is considered "old". It happens that to activate a new account, one must pay R$20, in a pre-paid system.
Some anonymous people appeared, concealed behind nicknames, fiercely defending Google, but no solid argument. No clear identity, no valid e-mail. We had the impression that they were Google agents.
Actually, this blogue exists since 2007, and to date it hasn't reached a mere US$100 from Google Adwords. For this reason, they were reduced, and we started with direct sponsorship by companies and other institutions, at a reasonable monthly cost, but with no intermediaries.
Eventually, we ain't no fools (anymore): over 600 thousand page vists and not a dime from Google! The blog is not to make us rich, but it must pay itself, and the miserable income from Google does not allow it.
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