Turkiye: Ruling against Google for abuse of dominance in general search and shopping comparison market

On 13 February 2020, the Turkish Competition Authority sanctioned Google with a fine of TRY 98 million for abusing its dominance in the general search and shopping comparison market. Google did so by disadvantaging competitors and complicating the activities of competitors. Specifically, Google moved internet traffic away from competitors offering shopping comparison services to their own shopping comparison service. Google also increased traffic from its own general search results page to its shopping comparison service. Notably, the TCA found that the first page of Google's search results page is "vital" for any competing website to create traffic, which is why Google having unlimited discretion over this first page is anti-competitive. Besides the fine, Google is now also obliged to follow a cease-and-desist order handed by the Turkish Competition Authority. Among other measures, Google must make operating conditions for competitors no less favourable than it would offer its own shopping comparison service and also stop positioning Google Shopping in an advantageous way on its general search results page. Google also has to report to the Turkish Competition Authorities once a year for 5 years.