Google is facing a growing backlash in Germany from the country’s political and business elites, as European parliament elections loom and domestic industries worry over competition they view as unfair.The US search giant has endured a chorus of criticism, with some going as far as to allege it is building a digital “superstate” that could pose a fundamental threat to freedom.On Friday, the rhetoric was further raised by Germany’s economy minister calling for the possible break-up of Google should the search company be found to have abused its dominant market position.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/19c7d6a6-dd07-11e3-ba13-00144feabdc0.htmlAlso see:German Economy Minister pledges tougher Internet regulation
Germany’s Economy Minister called a ruling by a European court that Internet firms can be made to remove personal information a “wake up” call for digital safeguards, adding Germany is mulling Internet platform regulation in terms of anti-trust laws.In an article due to appear in Friday’s edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) Gabriel said the economy ministry and Federal Cartel Office are considering whether firms such as Google are abusing their position as market leaders in the way they display search results.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/05/15/uk-google-germany-idUKKBN0DV1TU20140515German minister: ‘Google breakup may be required’
German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel has warned that US Internet giant Google could eventually achieve such a strong market position that breaking up the company may become an option. Google was not amused.While failing to explain how exactly to enforce a breakup of a US-based company, Sigmar Gabriel said Friday such a move could be a last resort for countries seeking to prevent Google from “systematically crowding out competitors.”
http://www.dw.de/german-minister-google-breakup-may-be-required/a-17641881