Qwant asks French watchdog to take interim action against Microsoft
Qwant, which has historically relied on Microsoft's Bing platform, wants the regulator to take interim action against the U.S. tech giant while investigating its complaint, the sources said.
The French regulator has sought feedback from other search engines and will likely decide by September whether to take interim action and also whether to open a formal investigation into Microsoft, one of the people said.
Competition enforcers only take interim action if there is evidence that a company abuses its market power and has caused serious and immediate harm to the complainant.
The French competition enforcer and Qwant declined to comment.
'This complaint lacks merit. We are fully cooperating with the Autorite's investigation,' a Microsoft spokesperson said, referring to the French watchdog.
Smaller European search engines typically rely on their bigger rivals' back-end technology to deliver search and news results.
Microsoft is a major player in the search-engine syndication sector but its smaller rivals fear the company will discontinue the service to their detriment.
Companies risk fines of as much as 10% of their global annual turnover for breaching French antitrust rules.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
19 minutes ago
- Economic Times
US envoy Steve Witkoff meets Israeli hostage families in Tel Aviv
Synopsis US envoy Steve Witkoff met with families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, facing mounting fears for their survival nearly two years after the Hamas attack. Families pleaded for assistance, urging for the hostages' return. Amidst ceasefire talks and international pressure, Hamas released a video of a hostage, intensifying concerns as the conflict continues with dire humanitarian consequences in Gaza. AP White House special envoy Steve Witkoff, centre, arrives to meet families of hostages at the plaza known as the hostages square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. ( AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) US envoy Steve Witkoff met anguished relatives of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza on Saturday, as fears for the captives' survival mounted almost 22 months into the war sparked by Hamas's October 2023 was greeted with some applause and pleas for assistance from hundreds of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv, before going into a closed meeting with the shared online showed him arriving to meet the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, as families chanted "Bring them home!" and "We need your help."The meeting came one day after Witkoff visited a US-backed aid station in Gaza to inspect efforts to get food into the devastated Palestinian territory."The war needs to end," Yotam Cohen, brother of 21-year-old hostage Nimrod Cohen, told AFP. "The Israeli government will not end it willingly. It has refused to do so," he added."The Israeli government must be stopped. For our sakes, for our soldiers' sakes, for our hostages' sakes, for our sons and for the future generations of everybody in the Middle East."Of the 251 hostages taken during the Hamas attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are the meeting, the Forum released a statement saying Witkoff had given them a personal commitment that he and US President Donald Trump would work to return the remaining hostages.- 'Horrifying acts' -Hamas attempted to maintain pressure on the families, on Friday releasing a video of one of the hostages -- 24-year-old Evyatar David -- for the second time in two days, showing him looking emaciated in a video called for a ceasefire and warned that time was running out for the hostages. David's family said their son was the victim of a "vile" propaganda campaign and accused Hamas of deliberately starving their son."The deliberate starvation of our son as part of a propaganda campaign is one of the most horrifying acts the world has seen. He is being starved purely to serve Hamas's propaganda," the family said. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Saturday also denounced the video, and one released a day earlier by another Palestinian Islamist group, as "despicable"."They must be freed, without conditions," he posted on X. "Hamas must be disarmed and excluded from ruling Gaza."The United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, had been mediating ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel that would allow the hostages to be released and humanitarian aid to flow more talks broke down last month and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is under domestic pressure to come up with another way to secure the missing hostages, alive and is also facing international calls to open Gaza's borders to more food aid, after UN and humanitarian agencies warned that more than two million Palestinian civilians are facing starvation.- 'Without rest' -Israel's top general warned that there would be no respite in fighting if the hostages were not released."I estimate that in the coming days we will know whether we can reach an agreement for the release of our hostages," armed forces chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said in a statement."If not, the combat will continue without rest."Zamir denied that there was widespread starvation in Gaza. "The current campaign of false accusations of intentional starvation is a deliberate, timed, and deceitful attempt to accuse the IDF (Israeli military), a moral army, of war crimes," he reports from UN-mandated experts warning a "famine is unfolding" in Gaza, more and more evidence is emerging of serious malnutrition and deaths among the most vulnerable Palestinian Dawwas, 33, living in a displacement camp in Gaza City told AFP her daughter Mariam had no known illnesses before the war but had now dropped from 25 kilograms (four stone) to 10 (around one and half stone) and was seriously malnourished. Hamas's 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official campaign in Gaza has killed at least 60,332 people, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, deemed reliable by the Palestine Red Crescent Society said in a post on X early Sunday that one of its staff members was killed and three others wounded in an Israeli attack on its Khan Yunis headquarters in civil defence agency said Israeli fire killed 34 people in the territory on people were killed in an Israeli strike on an area of central Gaza where Palestinians were awaiting food distribution by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal GHF has largely sidelined the longstanding UN-led aid distribution system in Gaza, just as Israel in late May began easing a more than two-month aid blockade that exacerbated existing UN human rights office in the Palestinian territories said at least 1,373 Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza were killed since May 27, adding that most of them were killed near GHF sites, and by the Israeli military.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
US envoy Steve Witkoff meets Israeli hostage families in Tel Aviv as hopes for a ceasefire fade
Witkoff was greeted with some applause and pleas for assistance from hundreds of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv, before going into a closed meeting with the families. read more US envoy Steve Witkoff (L) arrives to meet families of Israelis held hostage by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip since October 2023 as they demonstrate in Tel Aviv's 'Hostage' square on August 2, 2025. AFP US envoy Steve Witkoff met anguished relatives of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza on Saturday, as fears for the captives' survival mounted almost 22 months into the war sparked by Hamas's October 2023 attack. Witkoff was greeted with some applause and pleas for assistance from hundreds of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv, before going into a closed meeting with the families. Videos shared online showed him arriving to meet the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, as families chanted 'Bring them home!' and 'We need your help.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The meeting came one day after Witkoff visited a US-backed aid station in Gaza to inspect efforts to get food into the devastated Palestinian territory. 'The war needs to end,' Yotam Cohen, brother of 21-year-old hostage Nimrod Cohen, told AFP. 'The Israeli government will not end it willingly. It has refused to do so,' he added. 'The Israeli government must be stopped. For our sakes, for our soldiers' sakes, for our hostages' sakes, for our sons and for the future generations of everybody in the Middle East.' Of the 251 hostages taken during the Hamas attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. After the meeting, the Forum released a statement saying Witkoff had given them a personal commitment that he and US President Donald Trump would work to return the remaining hostages. 'Horrifying acts' Hamas attempted to maintain pressure on the families, on Friday releasing a video of one of the hostages – 24-year-old Evyatar David – for the second time in two days, showing him looking emaciated in a tunnel. The video called for a ceasefire and warned that time was running out for the hostages. David's family said their son was the victim of a 'vile' propaganda campaign and accused Hamas of deliberately starving their son. 'The deliberate starvation of our son as part of a propaganda campaign is one of the most horrifying acts the world has seen. He is being starved purely to serve Hamas's propaganda,' the family said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Saturday also denounced the video, and one released a day earlier by another Palestinian Islamist group, as 'despicable'. 'They must be freed, without conditions,' he posted on X. 'Hamas must be disarmed and excluded from ruling Gaza.' The United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, had been mediating ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel that would allow the hostages to be released and humanitarian aid to flow more freely. But talks broke down last month and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is under domestic pressure to come up with another way to secure the missing hostages, alive and dead. He is also facing international calls to open Gaza's borders to more food aid, after UN and humanitarian agencies warned that more than two million Palestinian civilians are facing starvation. 'Without rest' Israel's top general warned that there would be no respite in fighting if the hostages were not released. 'I estimate that in the coming days we will know whether we can reach an agreement for the release of our hostages,' armed forces chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said in a statement. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'If not, the combat will continue without rest.' Zamir denied that there was widespread starvation in Gaza. 'The current campaign of false accusations of intentional starvation is a deliberate, timed, and deceitful attempt to accuse the IDF (Israeli military), a moral army, of war crimes,' he said. Alongside reports from UN-mandated experts warning a 'famine is unfolding' in Gaza, more and more evidence is emerging of serious malnutrition and deaths among the most vulnerable Palestinian civilians. Modallala Dawwas, 33, living in a displacement camp in Gaza City told AFP her daughter Mariam had no known illnesses before the war but had now dropped from 25 kilograms (four stone) to 10 (around one and half stone) and was seriously malnourished. Hamas's 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official figures. Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed at least 60,332 people, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, deemed reliable by the UN. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Palestine Red Crescent Society said in a post on X early Sunday that one of its staff members was killed and three others wounded in an Israeli attack on its Khan Yunis headquarters in Gaza. Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli fire killed 34 people in the territory on Saturday. Five people were killed in an Israeli strike on an area of central Gaza where Palestinians were awaiting food distribution by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said. The GHF has largely sidelined the longstanding UN-led aid distribution system in Gaza, just as Israel in late May began easing a more than two-month aid blockade that exacerbated existing shortages. The UN human rights office in the Palestinian territories said at least 1,373 Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza were killed since May 27, adding that most of them were killed near GHF sites, and by the Israeli military.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
New EU rule may stir up trouble for Araku coffee exports
Araku Valley (Andhra Pradesh): A delay in geomapping farms of tribal growers cultivating Andhra Pradesh's celebrated Araku coffee could disrupt exports to Europe. That's because of a new law — European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) — that comes into force by the end of the year, which mandates traceability to the last mile. Only micro and small importers of Europe have an extended deadline — until June 30, 2026 — to comply. As coffee is a non-perishable item, European buyers, who at times procure beans in bulk for the entire year, have already begun insisting on EUDR-compliant shipments, ET has learnt. 'The clock is ticking,' warns an Indian exporter who sources beans from the hilly region — encompassing Paderu, Chintapalli, Minimuluru et al — collectively known as Araku Valley coffee, famed for its naturally grown, premium Arabica variety. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category MBA healthcare Public Policy others CXO Leadership Artificial Intelligence Degree Management Finance Digital Marketing Cybersecurity Product Management Project Management Data Science Healthcare Technology MCA Others Data Science Operations Management Design Thinking Data Analytics PGDM Skills you'll gain: Analytical Skills Financial Literacy Leadership and Management Skills Strategic Thinking Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT Online MBA Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Financial Management Team Leadership & Collaboration Financial Reporting & Analysis Advocacy Strategies for Leadership Duration: 18 Months UMass Global Master of Business Administration (MBA) Starts on May 13, 2024 Get Details 'Many Araku growers don't even own a smartphone to initiate geotagging, and awareness of the stringent European regulation is alarmingly low,' he says, requesting anonymity, also adding that the penalties for EU importers are severe — not just limited to confiscation of noncompliant shipments, but extending to fines of up to 4% of the company's total annual turnover within the EU from the previous financial year. Europe is India's largest coffee market, with Italy, Germany and Belgium emerging as the top three importers in FY25. According to the Coffee Board of India, nearly 150,000 farmers cultivate the Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged Araku coffee, with each typically holding just one to two acres of land. 'Mapping coffee plantations through the India Coffee app is part of a nationwide exercise across all coffee-growing regions,' says HR Muralidhara, deputy director of the Coffee Board, based in Paderu, the biggest town in the coffee-growing region of Andhra Pradesh. 'Geolocation of farmers is essential for compliance with the EUDR norms, and we have only recently initiated the process among tribal growers in Araku.' However, he declined to comment on allegations that the board is facing a shortage of field staff in the remote hilly region to raise awareness and complete the geotagging exercise before the deadline. Unlike in Araku — where a single GPS coordinate per plot suffices for EUDR compliance due to the small landholdings, all invariably under four acres — larger estates in Karnataka's Kodagu (Coorg) and Chikkamagaluru require detailed polygon mapping. 'We have already completed polygon mapping for our member estates in Coorg and have shipped two consignments of coffee that meet EUDR standards,' says Vishwanath KK, CEO, Kodagu-based Biota Coorg Farmer Producer Company. He emphasises the urgency of scaling up geotagging efforts nationwide: 'Geolocation data must be collected in mission mode across India to ensure our coffee remains eligible for export under EU regulations from day one.' Although the EUDR imposes penalties solely on European importers, Vishwanath notes, 'No importer will risk buying from an Indian exporter if the shipment — whether coffee or the six other regulated commodities like cocoa, rubber — fails to comply with the rules.' For now, European buyers are accepting consignments if convinced the stock will be exhausted before the regulation comes into effect, he adds. 'But the pressure to demonstrate compliance — that the product is not linked to deforestation— will only grow stronger in the coming months.' In Chumpi, a village nestled in the Araku Valley, coffee farmer Khogesh Rao says local buyers often come directly to their homes to purchase freshly harvested coffee fruits, which are then processed and passed on to larger buyers based in cities. 'Some of us have small pulping machines. If the coffee is washed, it fetches a better price,' he explains, also adding that no one in his village has undertaken any geolocation exercise. 'We're working to reduce the role of middlemen by encouraging Araku farmers to engage directly with companies and even invest in small-scale curing units of their own,' says Kalpana Kumari, managing director of Girijan Cooperative Corporation, a state-run body that procures coffee and minor forest produce from tribal farmers. 'Tata Coffee, Continental Coffee, Third Wave — so many multinational enterprises are sourcing and exporting Araku coffee now,' she adds.
