According to the decision rendered by the Federal Anti-Cartel Office, which a few months ago opened an investigation against Google and its parent company Alphabet, these companies have "significant importance on the markets", having an impact on the competetion.
The regulator can therefore "now take measures against specific anti-competitive practices by Google," he said in a statement.
The Anti-Cartel Office is applying a law that came into force last year, which strengthens its powers against companies, mainly digital, dominating the market.
Under this text, investigations had been launched against Facebook, Amazon and Google.
The decision against Google is the first rendered by the German antitrust.
In particular, the law allows immediate measures to be taken to prevent certain practices, for example "self-referencing of group services" on its platforms, or "preventing third-party companies from entering a market".
According to the competition officer, the law may apply to Google, given the weight of the company in its market.
"With more than 80% of the market share, Google occupies a dominant position in the general search services market in Germany and is the main provider of search advertising," the authority said.
In addition, "Google has a considerable influence on the access of other companies to its users and to its advertising customers", via "Youtube, Android, Play Store", in particular.
The company can therefore "set rules and conditions for other companies in the markets," said the organization.
With this law, Germany is a pioneer in the fight against the anti-competitive practices of the digital giants in Europe.
© 2022 AFP