The European Union (EU) has called for increased transparency from Google and Bing with regards to the display of adverts in their search engine ranking pages (SERPs). In a letter sent on Tuesday (21 October) to EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, Microsoft said that it was “disappointed” by Google’s refusal to provide information about how its SERPs are ranked. He added that a 'one size fits all' methodology is not appropriate for online platforms that all have their own unique business models. This open-handed tactic was appreciated by the tech giants, who praised the EU for its ability to see the wider picture, and treat each case on its individual merits. The Commission will publish a communication detailing its plans on web platforms in June. The EU is also investigating paid-for-reviews and services offered by Google's Android, Apple's mobile operating system and Google Maps.
The European Union (EU) has called for increased transparency from Google and Bing with regards to the display of adverts in their search engine ranking pages (SERPs). In a letter sent on Tuesday (21 October) to EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, Microsoft said that it was “disappointed” by Google’s refusal to provide information about how its SERPs are ranked. He added that a 'one size fits all' methodology is not appropriate for online platforms that all have their own unique business models. This open-handed tactic was appreciated by the tech giants, who praised the EU for its ability to see the wider picture, and treat each case on its individual merits. The EU is also investigating paid-for-reviews and services offered by Google's Android, Apple's mobile operating system and Google Maps.