Request for tripartite meeting between Google, European Commission and alternative search engines to improve the preference menu on Android

European search engines unite to write to the European Commission

Team Qwant

27 October 2020

2min

October 27, 2020

Madam Executive Vice-President,

We are companies operating search engines competing with Google. We have already brought to your attention our deep dissatisfaction with Google’s mechanism to address its own anti-competitive behaviour on Android, as uncovered by the Commission’s investigation. We understand that, as part of the follow-up of the case, Google regularly informs you of how the auction is conducted. We are concerned that you may receive complete and accurate data from them.

We allow ourselves to contact you to request a tripartite meeting with your team, ourselves and Google, in order to establish an effective preferred menu. We will endeavour to put in place a detailed agenda for this meeting, to ensure that it is productive and collaborative.

We sincerely support the Commission’s ambition to work to reduce the distortions of competition caused by Google’s practices. We urge the Commission to put these intentions into practice now, making full use of the tools you have.

We thank you in advance for your consideration and ask you to accept, Madam Executive Vice-President, the expression of our best consideration.