Danish job search rival Jobindex sues Google antitrust: After a Danish online competitor complained to EU authorities that the Alphabet business had unjustly favored its job search engine. Google slammed with an antitrust lawsuit on Monday.
Three years after initially coming under her inspection, EU antitrust watchdog Margrethe Vestager’s investigation of the program, Google for Jobs, may be sped up by the complaint. Since then, the EU has not taken any action in the online job-search industry.
Google or the European Commission did not immediately answer requests for comments outside of business hours.
Google has previously claimed it made improvements in Europe in response to complaints from online job-search competitors.
The Google has recently fine more than EUR 8 billion (approximately Rs. 66,220 crores) by Vestager for anti-competitive activities.
Twenty-three online job-search websites criticized Google for Jobs in 2019 when it introduced in Europe. They said that due to the internet search engine allegedly using its market dominance to promote its new service. It had lost market share.
Danish job search rival Jobindex sues Google antitrust
Although applicants must travel elsewhere to apply, Google’s service connects to posts that have been collected from several companies. Enabling candidates to sort, save, and get notifications about jobs. For standard online searches, Google displays a sizable widget for the tool at the top of the results.
Three years ago, one of the 23 critics, Jobindex, claimed that Google had used anticompetitive tactics to sway the Danish market. Which had previously been very competitive, in its favor.
By the time Google for Employment hit the local market last year, according to Jobindex founder and CEO Kaare Danielsen. His business had amassed the most extensive jobs database in Denmark.
However, Danielsen told Reuters that Jobindex lost 20% of search traffic to Google’s subpar service in the short period after the launch of Google for Jobs in Denmark.
“Google effectively suppresses some of the most relevant job listings from job searchers by placing its subpar service at the top of results pages. If recruiters don’t utilize Google’s employment service, they may not be able to contact all job seekers, “explained he.
Danielsen urged the Commission to order Google to stop the alleged anticompetitive practices, fine the company. And impose periodic payments to ensure compliance. “This does not just stifle competition among recruitment services but directly impairs labor markets. Which are central to any economy,” Danielsen said.
Jobindex claimed to have seen instances of free-riding when some of its job postings reproduce without its consent and promoted by Jobindex’s business partners via Google for Jobs. It also mentioned privacy dangers to customers and job seekers.
