On Tuesday, French authorities imposed a fine of $2.2 million on Google for providing incomplete results in its search engine and app store.
The Competition, Consumer, and Anti-Fraud Office stated that Google’s search engine did not offer sufficient information regarding the criteria used to rank results. Specifically, when it came to searches for tourism accommodation, the results lacked explanations for the prices.
The watchdog agency also highlighted that the Google Play Store did not provide information on the ranking criteria of results, payment details, or procedures for resolving disputes. Moreover, it did not allow consumers to publish their reviews of apps in the store.
However, the competition agency acknowledged that Google had taken steps to address some of the identified issues.
In response to the charges, a Google spokesperson expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling, stating that the watchdog agency did not consider the changes implemented by the US tech giant. The spokesperson emphasized that Google has always been transparent about how its products function and expressed willingness to cooperate constructively with French and European regulators.
This is the second time that Google’s France unit has faced fines related to misleading hotel rankings in its search engine. In February 2021, Google France was fined 1.1 million euros after an investigation revealed that its hotel rankings could mislead consumers.
The investigation was initiated in 2019 by the French national competition and consumer watchdog DGCCRF following complaints from hoteliers about Google’s proprietary rating system. It was discovered that Google had replaced the standard classification system of the public tourist board with its own star rating system, which was applied to over 7,500 establishments.
The DGCCRF concluded that Google had engaged in deceptive business practices, leading to the proposed sanction on Google Ireland (the tech giant’s European headquarters) and Google France.
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