The European Parliament is preparing a non-binding resolution that proposes splitting Google Inc’s search engine operations in Europe from the rest of its business as one possible option to rein in the Internet company’s dominance in the search market.
European politicians have grown increasingly concerned about Google and other American companies’ command of the Internet industry, and have sought ways to curb their power.
A public call for a break-up would be the most far-reaching action proposed and a significant threat to Google’s business.
The draft motion does not mention Google or any specific search engine, although Google is by far the dominant provider of such services in Europe with an estimated 90 percent market share. Earlier on Friday, the Financial Times described a draft motion as calling for a break-up of Google.
Google declined to comment.
The motion seen by Reuters “calls on the Commission to consider proposals with the aim of unbundling search engines from other commercial services as one potential long-term solution” to leveling the competitive playing field.
The European Parliament has no power to initiate legislation and lacks the authority to break up corporations, and while the draft motion is a non-binding resolution, it would step up the pressure on the European Commission to act against Google.
Google already faces stern criticism in Europe about everything from privacy to tax policies, and has been wrestling with a European court’s ruling that requires it to remove links from search results that individuals find objectionable.
EU commissioner for competition Margrethe Vestager said she would take some time to decide on the next step of the four-year investigation into the Internet search leader, after her predecessor Joaquin Almunia scrapped a proposed settlement with the company.
The co-sponsor of the resolution, German Christian Democrat lawmaker Andreas Schwab told Reuters it was “very likely” it would be adopted as both his own center-right group, the largest in parliament, and the main center-left group supported it. Schwab proposed the resolution along with Spanish centrist Ramon Tremosa earlier this week.
In a statement on Wednesday, the two said Google had failed to propose adequate remedies during the antitrust investigation by the commission.
In a position paper, they cited a number of possible solutions to what they saw as Google’s abusive, dominant position in search engines and its ability to drive Internet traffic to favored sites. If these failed, then, they suggested, legislation should be tried.
“In case the proceedings against Google carry on without any satisfying decisions and the current anti-competitive behavior continues to exist, a regulation of the dominant online web search should be envisaged,” they said.
Officials at the European Commission could not be immediately reached for comment.
It was also not clear how US regulators would respond. In a major victory for Google, US regulators last year ended an investigation into the Internet company and concluded that it had not manipulated Web search results to hurt rivals.
It did get Google to agree to change some of its business practices, including halting the “scraping” of reviews and other data from rivals’ Web sites for its own products.
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