Axel Springer unit, others say Google still playing unfairly, want EU to act
The signatories to the letter are from 21 EU countries and include Idealo, Europes second largest price comparison shoppingservice, Polish No.
They said Googles proposal to allow competitors to bid for advertising space at the top of a search page had not boosted traffic to their sites.
Over 28,000 merchants in Europe are currently placing shopping ads through these third-party Comparison Shopping Services, leading to more choice for merchants and consumers, Google said.
The European Commission confirmed receipt of the letter, which did not mention any specific solutions sought by the group, and said it was monitoring the situation.
Some 600 companies now take part in auctions for search page advertising space, Google senior executive Oliver Bethell told an Informa conference earlier this week, saying it proved the auctions had boosted competition.
The letter demonstrates a united front of genuine comparison shopping services against Googles attempt to present measures as a compliance mechanism, he said.
Earlier this month, Vestager voiced concerns about the lack of significant traffic to Googles competitors, rowing back on previous comments about the positive impact of the auctions.
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