German price platform sues Google over search results

FRANKFURT, Germany – A German price-comparison platform says it has filed a suit against Alphabet Inc.’s Google search business on allegations it has abused its dominant position by favoring its own price-comparison service in search results.

Berlin-based Idealo GmbH said Friday it had submitted the complaint to the state court in Berlin. Idealo said its suit is based on a 2017 decision by the European Commission to fine Google $2.74 billion for giving unfair advantage to its own comparison shopping service in violation of EU competition rules.

Google representatives said they hadn’t received the suit and could not comment.

Margrethe Vestager, the European commission for competition, said March 20 that changes Google had made regarding comparison shopping were “positive developments” but that the commission would “keep monitoring the market.”