Washington (AFP)

Google's business model, based on a galaxy of free services, collecting user data and advertising, is called into question by the lawsuits launched against this group by the US government, which accuses it of abuse of a dominant position .

The Department of Justice will have to prove that Google has violated competition laws, and reinforced its monopoly on online search and advertising in an illegal way, using its various services - email, maps and GPS, tools to shop or book online.

But to win in court, the authorities must show that the Californian group has harmed consumers - when these tools are free.

The lawsuits "ignore the issue of price and focus on the impact in terms of quality and innovation," points out Avery Gardiner, member of the Center for Democracy & Technology.

"In the past, agencies in charge of antitrust have been reluctant to advance without evidence on the consequences for prices," said the former lawyer for the Department of Justice in charge of cartels and antitrust.

Data provided by the ministry shows that Google controls 88% of online searches in the United States, and even 94% of internet searches via a mobile device.

The government also argues that the tech giant has strengthened its monopoly through contracts that exclude competition - including the one signed with neighbor Apple to make Google the default search engine on the iPhone.

In this way, the tool imposes itself on the two dominant mobile operating systems, Android (Google) and iOS (Apple).

- Free?

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The flagship of Alphabet, which is worth more than a trillion dollars on the stock market, generated 161 billion in turnover last year, most of it coming from digital advertising (backed by searches, videos on YouTube, Google Maps, etc.), which feeds on the navigation and profiles of billions of users.

Google searches "are not really free, since we can think of them as transactions where the consumer gives his attention to the advertisements in exchange for the search results", notes Christopher Sagers, professor of law at Cleveland State University.

He believes that free access will not be a major obstacle for the government, which should focus on digital advertising, "a product that Google does not give away for free".

The ministry's argument seems to be based on "breaches of privacy, the protection of personal information and the use of consumer data," notes Maurice Stucke, a professor of law at the University of Tennessee specializing in law. competition.

The lawsuits should look more broadly at the consequences of Google's practices for the entire industry.

According to him, government lawyers brought up the Microsoft case twenty years ago, when authorities failed to dismantle the firm, but succeeded in opening up the technology industry to more players.

"The general perception is that the Microsoft lawsuit allowed innovations to emerge, because the competitors were no longer operating in the shadow of the group," notes Mr. Stucke.

- CD-ROM -

The lawsuits launched by the ministry associated with 11 attorneys general of American states, all Republicans, could spread over several years, in a context of anger and mistrust of the authorities vis-à-vis the power accumulated by the Silicon companies Valley.

The complaint filed in Washington calls for "structural" changes, and therefore suggests a possible dismantling of certain parts of the leader of online research.

Google called the lawsuits "dubious".

"People use Google by choice and not because they are forced or cannot find alternatives," defended Kent Walker, a vice president of the Mountain View (California) group, in a statement Tuesday.

"We are not in 1990, when changing services was long and complicated, and required the purchase and installation of software with a CD-ROM," he laughed.

According to independent analyst Richard Windsor, the department has solid arguments, but "the most likely solution is not a dismantling. Rather it would be measures that increase competition", such as allowing competing tools to appear. most prominently on its mobile application store (Google Play Store).

"To be honest with Google, their ecosystem of services is the best available in many categories," says Windsor on his blog.

"On the other hand, Google is forcing smartphone manufacturers to highlight its tools and install them by default."

© 2020 AFP