美国有线新闻 CNN 两年内第三张天价罚单 谷歌再次因不当竞争被欧盟处罚

 

CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: For the third time in two years, the European Union is ordering Google to pay more than $1 billion for breaking EU rules. That's the first story we're explaining today on CNN 10. I'm Carl Azuz.

The first time had to do with shopping. In 2017, the EU accused Google of using its own search engine to steer¹ shoppers to its own shopping platform, instead of those of its competitors.

ISA SOARES: Search for almost anything you could buy online and right at the top Google will first offer you a box with a selection of that product, say cheese. And if you go further and click on it, Google directs you to its own Google shopping page. The European Commission argues that by promoting its own business and banishing² other such websites to around the fourth page of search results, what Google is doing is really denying anyone else a chance to compete, and denying consumers with what it calls a genuine choice.

AZUZ: The EU said that was unfair and fined the company $2.7 billion, a record at the time. Google said it disagreed, and that it tried to show ads in ways that helped buyers and sellers. But then another fine came last summer. The EU ordered Google to pay $5 billion, a new record amount, for requiring and paying smart phone makers³ to install Google applications on phones before they were sold, and for preventing makers from selling phones that ran on alternative versions of Android, Google's operating system. The EU said Google was breaking the law. Google disagreed, saying Android had created more choices for everyone, not less.

The technology company has not paid these fines yet. It's appealing them through the court system. Now though, it has a third one to address, the one Google was ordered to pay Wednesday. It's worth $1.7 billion. Again, it's about hindering competition. The European Union says Google prevented its competitors from advertising⁴ on certain websites. This went on for 10 years between 2006 and 2016. And after European lawyers objected to it in 2016, Google stopped doing it. Since then, Google says its made a quote "wide range of changes in order to address the Commissions concerns." The company says more changes are ahead based on what it calls feedback from Europe. And as far as the latest fine goes, Google says it respectfully disagrees with it.

But with American companies like Google, Apple and Facebook being so dominant⁵ around the world, Europe's been closely watching them, and sometimes actively⁶ confronting them over competition, privacy and tax issues. So all of this is only part of the tension between U.S. internet and tech companies and international governments.

1 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

2 banishing   

v.放逐，驱逐( banish的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• And he breathes out fast, like a king banishing a servant. 他呼气则非常迅速，像一个国王驱逐自己的奴仆。 来自互联网
• Banishing genetic disability must therefore be our primary concern. 消除基因缺陷是我们的首要之急。 来自互联网

3 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

5 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

6 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。