Hmm. The rules are a tad arbitrary. This would be entirely allowed if less people used Google search relative to its competitors.
Note, it's not illegal per se. It's not illegal because of a de jure monopoly. It's not even illegal because of the number of users they have. It's illegal because Bing, Yahoo et al are not as relatively successful.
It was the same with browsers. Microsoft were hit for bundling. Apple haven't been though they've done identically the same thing. Why? Because enough people bought Android phones in the EU.
I do find it dubious that, effectively, the primary criteria for illegality is not what the defendant did but what some other actors didn't do. Seems wrong to me.
The primary criteria is the damage it causes to society, there is absolutely nothing arbitrary about it. It just so happens that if you are not a (quasi-)monopoly, you just cannot cause the kind of damage a monopoly can, no matter how hard you try, and if you don't cause any damage, you won't be fined.
which is something you do not want for the general wellbeing of your population or the continuation of your state.
Also, Many people here seem to forget that we do not, in fact, live in a completely laissez-faire capitalistic society for good reason. Especially compared to the US, the countries in the EU do not view unfetered capitalism as a 'good and just' thing.
Note, it's not illegal per se. It's not illegal because of a de jure monopoly. It's not even illegal because of the number of users they have. It's illegal because Bing, Yahoo et al are not as relatively successful.
It was the same with browsers. Microsoft were hit for bundling. Apple haven't been though they've done identically the same thing. Why? Because enough people bought Android phones in the EU.
I do find it dubious that, effectively, the primary criteria for illegality is not what the defendant did but what some other actors didn't do. Seems wrong to me.