Google fined $25.5 million by Turkish regulators for abusing dominance in online searches

Turkish regulators have fined Google $25.5 million or 196.7 million Turkish liras for allegedly abusing its dominance in the market with online searches. In a statement released on November 13, the Competition Authority said Google along with its parent company Alphabet Inc made it evidently difficult for other firms to show up in the online searches if they failed to generate advertising revenue for the American multinational technology company. 

Now, as per the Associated Press report, the Turkish authority said that Google would have to ensure there is “active competition in the market” by introducing remedial steps within the next six months. Moreover, the US-based company will have to present its measures for compliance along with annual reports for at least half a decade. 

With troubles mounting on Alphabet Inc’s Google, the fine from Turkish regulators came as the European and American authorities also targetted the company’s dominance in some market sectors, such as online searches. However, Google has denied any wrongdoing whatsoever.

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Turkey fined other social media giants

Meanwhile, Turkish authorities have also issued fines on other international social media companies for their failure in appointing a representative to ensure that they abide by the nation’s law, said a senior official last week according to AP report. The chairman of the Information and Communication Technologies Authority, Omer Fatih Sayan said that Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Periscope, YouTube and TikTok would be fined 10 million Turkish liras or $1.2 million each.

These fines also mark the first step by Turkey on the stacking penalties that can put an end on at least 90 per cent of the website’s internet traffic bandwidth. These social media platforms that have nearly one million daily users in Turkey failed to notify the government about the representative. The $1.2 million fine each, is also first of the five stages to penalise the platforms that violated the law that came into effect on October 1. 

“I have complete faith that social network providers will make representative notices to our country as the legal process progresses,” tweeted Sayan, who is also Turkey’s deputy transport and infrastructure minister. “Our aim is not to be in conflict with these providers serving billions of people around the world.”

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