Google in the RED

Yes, apparently Google has just got itself stuck to some mess.


The European antitrust officials are right on Google's tail now because of the recent reports by 3 companies, complaining about its practices.

For the benefit of everyone, antitrust officials are actually people who look into operations of corporations who try to obtain huge market share and devoid its competitors of any potential profits or competition. They try to block off the path either by colluding with them or by forcing them into an impasse with a low price on their products.


However, in this case, they are complaining that Google is suppressing the ranking of its competitors in its search results.

What's the big deal you might ask. How does this trap its competitors or whatsoever?


Well, simply put, by now showing the ranking of its competitors, people are not sure about the presence of these other search engines. Thus, they will be misleaded and come under the conclusion that the market share of these other search engines are way too pathetic to be even mentioned. In turn, they will continue to use Google as they trust that a search engine with a huge market share is bound to be reliable.


"This kind of scrutiny goes with the territory when you are a large company," senior competition counsel Julia Holtz said on the company's European Public Policy blog.

As mentioned, when you are famous and stuff, people will stare at you with jealousy. If you are not careful, your competitors might just form coalitions just to bring you down.


It isn't always bad being the prominent one though. For instance, look at Apple, recently it has introduced iPad and apparently it has been condemned by quite a number and many companies are trying to sue Apple now because they claim to have possessed a patent for the iPad which they themselves have come up with a while back.


This might seem like a huge mistake by Apple but when you look at it the other way round, it is not seemingly the case.

For instance, do you notice that the term iPad has been used even by their competitors? Google mentioned that they want to make their own iPad. Even Google uses the term iPad.


Isn't it very ironic that Apple's competitors are indirectly promoting Apple's brand name in the midst of the charging and stuff.


Google is exactly benefitting from the hype surrounding them as well. No doubt people are chronically complaining and trying to sue them, they are indirectly getting all the free attention that they need as a search engine giant. People will search for the stories more on Google from now onwards and their market share will continue to surge.


All in all, I feel that perhaps they had been plotting this all along, free advertising and a large scale one that has captured all the media's attention. Shrewd indeed.



Credits -cnn, -expertsem, -av-club