French competition watchdog launches online ad inquiry
23/05/2016 19:28
By Mathieu Rosemain
PARIS, May 23 (Reuters) - The French competition authority
launched an inquiry on Monday on the exploitation of Internet
users' data for the online advertising industry, putting major
personal data collectors such as Alphabet Inc's Google GOOGL.O
in its sights.
The inquiry, which includes a public consultation starting
early next year, will result in non-binding recommendations but
may become the basis of a formal anti-trust investigation if
infringements are observed.
"Can everyone access these data, which are fundamental
inputs of this business activity? Are there exclusion strategies
being put in place?" Bruno Lasserre, president of the France's
anti-trust regulator, told a press conference.
Google, the world's most popular Web search engine, collects
data globally from Internet users and companies via the free
professional and personal services it offers online and on smart
mobile devices.
Its mobile operating system, Android, can be found on about
80 percent of smart mobile devices, EU data shows.
This means Google has a "privileged position" in terms of
data collection, said Mathieu Guennec, the French competition
authority's lead investigator.
Guennec also cited Google's presence on both the buy-side
and sell-side of the online advertising business through
different platforms, raising questions about the market power
the U.S. company could draw from this integrated approach.
No-one at Google in France was immediately available for
comment.
Other big data collectors cited in the French regulator's
written presentations included Facebook FB.O and Twitter
TWTR.N .
The French competition authority's announcement comes a
month after the European Union charged Google with using Android
to squeeze out rivals. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N17M5L2
Google also faces its first EU anti-trust sanction this year
over allegations that its Web search results favour its own
shopping service, people familiar with the matter said in April.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N17W7F5.
Separately, Germany's cartel office said in March that it
was investigating Facebook for suspected abuse of market power
over breaches of data protection laws. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N16A1U0
(Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain, editing by David Evans)
((Mathieu.Rosemain@thomsonreuters.com; +33 1 4949 5182; Reuters
Messaging: mathieu.rosemain.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: ADVERTISING COMPETITION/FRANCE