Google’s rocky relationship with the EU looks like it could be getting rockier. The European Parliament’s new draft motion, spotted by the Financial Times, is looking to break Google’s search engine away from the company’s other services.
Google’s search engine has traditionally been met with controversy in Europe but this would be a major blow to the company.
The EU is considering the move as a measure to remedy Google’s dominance in the field – the argument is that Google search highlights its own products over others, damaging its competitors profits. This would be less of an issue if Google Search weren’t so dominant in the market.
The document is being backed by the parliament’s two largest factions, the European People’s Party and the Socialists. Although the European Parliament doesn’t have the power to split up Google on its own, it can pressure the European Commission to take action.
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The Financial Times reports the draft will be finalized early next week, ahead of an expected vote on Thursday.
➤ Google break-up plan emerges from Brussels [Financial Times]
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