Google offers to tweak search results to promote rivals, stave off EU antitrust fine, documents show
Google's latest proposal came three months after the European Commission charged the U.S. tech giant with favouring its own services such as Google Shopping, Google Hotels and Google Flights over rivals in breach of the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The landmark DMA sets out a list of dos and don'ts for Big Tech aimed at reining in their power and giving rivals more room to compete and consumers more choices.
Under Google's new proposal a vertical search service (VSS) selected on objective and non-discriminatory criteria would get its own box at the top of the search page with the same format, information and features as Google's, the document said.
The box would contain three direct links picked by the VSS, to hotels, airlines, restaurants and transport.
Other VSS, which are specialised search engines within Google, would be ranked below but without a box unless users click on them.
"We do not agree with the (Commission's) preliminary findings' position but, on a without prejudice basis, we want to find a workable solution to resolve the present proceedings," the documents sent by both Google and the Commission to the rivals said.
The rivals will provide feedback at a July 8 meeting called by the Commission. A number of rivals, who did not want to be named ahead of the meeting, told Reuters that the changes still do not go far enough to ensure a level playing field.
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Reuters
33 minutes ago
- Reuters
EU presses China on rare earths and Ukraine war
BRUSSELS, July 2 (Reuters) - The European Union's top diplomat urged China's foreign minister on Wednesday to end restrictions on rare earths exports and warned that Chinese firms' support for Russia's war in Ukraine posed a serious threat to European security, the EU said. The statement from the EU's diplomatic service came after Kaja Kallas, the bloc's high representative for foreign policy, met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Brussels. Kallas "called on China to put an end to its distortive practices, including its restrictions on rare earths exports, which pose significant risks to European companies and endanger the reliability of global supply chains," the EU said. On trade, Kallas urged "concrete solutions to rebalance the economic relationship, level the playing field and improve reciprocity in market access". She also "highlighted the serious threat Chinese companies' support for Russia's illegal war poses to European security". China says it does not provide military support to Russia for the war in Ukraine. But European officials say Chinese companies provide many of the vital components for Russian drones and other weapons used in Ukraine. Kallas called on China "to immediately cease all material support that sustains Russia's military industrial complex" and support "a full and unconditional ceasefire" and a "just and lasting peace in Ukraine". Wednesday's discussions were to lay the groundwork for a summit between EU and Chinese leaders later this month. Wang also met earlier in the day with European Council President Antonio Costa as part of those preparations. In that meeting, Wang called on both sides to respect each other's core interests and increase mutual understanding, adding that "unilateralism and acts of bullying have seriously undermined the international order and rules," according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement. EU officials had said they would use the meeting between Kallas and Wang to urge China to use its influence as Iran's main oil buyer to press Tehran to make a deal over its nuclear programme and de-escalate conflict in the Middle East. The EU statement did not say whether those efforts had borne any fruit. But it said Kallas and Wang "agreed on the importance of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime". The EU and Britain, France and Germany are parties to a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that Washington abandoned in 2018, which they hope to revive. Iran has always said its nuclear programme is peaceful and denies seeking a weapon. Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to China for the summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on July 24-25.
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Investors mobilise for weeks of market whiplash from wild-card events
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The Herald Scotland
3 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Scotch whisky distillers change course as US lifts barriers
'What we're seeing right now is a once-in-a-generation set of challenges facing the Scotch whisky industry,' a spokesperson for the Scotch Whisky Association said. 'Businesses of all sizes, but particularly SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), are operating under considerable strain as input costs have risen, from increased raw material and energy prices to the rise in employment costs. 'Consumer spending is also being impacted, the impact of which is being felt across the supply chain and hospitality sector. 'On the international stage, the key markets relied upon by smaller and medium sized companies to establish their business – the UK, the EU, and the US – are all facing their own unique obstacles which have put up barriers to trade and access.' The founder of one Scotch distillery said it has switched its focus to Asia because of the higher cost of exporting to the US. 'It's a real challenge for us,' said Martin Murray, co-owner of Thurso-based Dunnet Bay Distillers. 'We'd set out a plan for 2025 with market visits and investment, but that has been significantly impacted by the US tariffs. As a result, we've changed our strategy to be investing in sales in Asia. Our sales in China are going well in a market that still has challenges post-Covid.' Ian Palmer, founder of InchDairnie Distillery in Fife, said: 'The immediate term impact has been confusion and uncertainty over the tariffs leading to our distributors being very cautious. 'In the long term, there will be price increases for the US consumer leading to a loss of volume and that will be more evident at the 'value' end of the market.' Despite the challenges in the US, industry figures are encouraged by the recent signing of the UK-India trade deal, which will bring freer access for exports to one of the world's biggest whisky markets, as well the emergence of key markets in Asia such as Vietnam. Scotch whisky veteran Billy Walker, owner of The GlenAllachie Distillery in Speyside, said: 'There's money to be spent there. I can see Vietnam becoming a huge holiday area in the next few years because it has such a wonderful coastline with remarkably decent infrastructure. 'And they are knowledgeable. They are not novices when it comes to Scotch whisky.'
