On Tuesday, the General Directorate of Competition, Consumer Affairs and Anti-Fraud in France imposed a fine of 2.015 million euros for Google’s failure to comply with the laws related to “consumer information”, specifically related to the “classification standards” adopted by the Google search engine and the Google Play Store.
As a result of monitoring operations conducted in 2021, the National Investigation Department of the General Directorate for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Anti-Fraud detected a “lack of information related to the criteria for ranking results” in the Google search engine, reports Al-Rai daily.
Google was also fined for “failing to inform the consumer of information related to the price conditions of tourist accommodation offers” regarding options such as the possibility of canceling a reservation and refunding money or not, or including breakfast within the prices offered, in the dedicated search and comparison unit from Google.
It was noted on the “Google Play” store, “the absence of information related to the criteria for arranging results, the quality of the provider (professional or private), payment terms and those related to resolving disputes,” according to the French authority.
The authority also indicated that “the person concerned was not informed of the reasons for which his publication was rejected.”
Since the commission began monitoring operations, Google has “addressed some of the problems for which it was fined.”
“We regret that the French authority did not take these changes into account,” a Google spokesperson told AFP.
“We have always been transparent with our users about how our products work,” he added, noting Google’s desire to “work constructively with French and European regulators.”