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| Tech companies are forced to drop their preferences |
The EU competition official suggested that the big tech companies should change the way they improve as the EU prepares for a change in competition rules.
The European Union will announce a major digital regulatory reform later this month that may affect the business models of major tech companies.
The new rules aim to strictly control illegal and harmful content while ensuring that small businesses can compete with large companies operating in Europe.
"Accountability comes with power, and part of it does not improve yourself when your services compete with others," said Margaret Westager, EU Competition Policy Officer.
Tech companies usually list their products in the top of internet search engines, giving customers the opportunity to choose services.
This behavior is known as personal preference, which is why Spotify filed a lawsuit against Apple in 2019.
Swedish digital music services company has complained that Apple has misused its dominant position in its app store in favor of its music service and weakening its competitors.
The complaint is one of the problems that the European Commission, the EU's executive body, is trying to solve by updating competition rules.
Westager stated that the focus is not on the size of the company, but on ensuring fair competition in the European Union market.
European decision-makers often call for a review of competition rules on the grounds that they are not designed for the digital economy.
Vestager has conducted several surveys of large tech companies since 2015, but policymakers are a little disappointed. Because the investigation did not bring any real changes.
In 2017, the European Commission fined Google 2.4 billion euros for promoting Google Shopping rather than giving its competitors equal access.
Google made some changes after the fine, but a study in September showed the changes were minimal.
According to this study, less than 1% of Google Shopping traffic will drive users to competing shopping sites.