EU antitrust chief says Apple, Google cases show no US bias

Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The head of Europe’s antitrust watchdog dismissed accusations of bias against the United States on Friday over her decisions to prosecute Google for abusing its dominance in internet search and Apple over an Irish tax deal, saying such talk was wrong. European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager’s strong defence of her actions came after she was criticised in the U.S. media for a series of cases she has opened over the past year against U.S. giants such as Google, Apple, Amazon and Starbucks. Some critics have accused EU regulators of seeking to shield European companies from American competitors. Vestager rejected the criticism, saying the nationality of the companies had no bearing on her assessment. “Some people say that our cases involving internet giants like Apple and Google are evidence of bias. Well, that’s a misconception,” she said in a speech to be delivered at the Foreign Policy Association in New York. “Yes, American companies are often involved when we investigate the digital industry. But in our car parts cartel cases, you also see a lot of Japanese companies,” she said. She added that the data on cartel fines and mergers also showed no geographic bias. The European Commission is currently investigating Google’s response to antitrust allegations that it favored its Google Shopping service over competitors. It is also investigating the company’s popular Android smartphone operating system. Amazon is in the EU’s crosshairs over a Luxembourg tax treaty, and Starbucks over a Dutch tax treaty.