Thread by @QwantCom

#thread Qwant denounces Google's announcement aiming to auction the free choice of European consumers to use a search engine other than Google Search.

theverge.com/2019/8/2/20751…

Qwant recalls that Google was condemned by the @EU_Commission on July 18, 2018 to pay a 4.34 billion euros fine for abusing its dominant position on Android, by imposing Google Search as the default search engine to almost all mobile phone manufacturers and their customers.

@EU_Commission It is not up to Google to now charge its competitors for its faulty behavior and the amount of the fine, through an auction system that will benefit neither European consumers nor free competition, which should not be distorted by such process.

@EU_Commission Qwant notes in this regard that the proposed bidding process would be open to so-called search engines that derive their results and revenues from Google, thereby creating an unacceptable distortion and a high risk of manipulation, inequity or disloyalty of the auction.

@EU_Commission The decision of the @EU_Commission must benefit European consumers by ensuring the conditions of a freedom of choice, especially regarding the protection of their personal data, and not on their ability to fund Google or to be financed by it.

@EU_Commission Finally, Google has chosen to appeal its conviction of July 18, 2018, in a proceeding in which Qwant is a party. Qwant can not accept that the auction process is subject to a non-disclosure agreement as imposed by Google while its complaint is still pending.

@EU_Commission Such a confidentiality agreement has no other possible justification than the desire to silence its competitors on the anomalies they would see. This, again, is an unacceptable abuse of its dominant position.

@EU_Commission Qwant therefore calls on the European institutions and stakeholders to seize this case as soon as possible in order to fully enforce the Commission's decision of 18 July 2018.