The EU wants to break Google up into smaller pieces

Google has been the target of repeated anti-trust scrutiny in Europe over the last decade. Today Financial Times is reporting that the European parliament is on the verge of taking even more drastic steps, preparing a plan that would call for the break up of the search giant, specifically the “unbundling [of] search engines from other commercial services.” It was only five months ago that Google began removing links in response to Europe’s new rules about the “right to be forgotten.” The company has been criticized repeatedly, both for its commercial dominance and in regards to privacy. As Financial Times notes, the European parliament has no authority to force the break up of a company like Google, but does have the ability to sway new legislation, which might impact the search giant. When asked by Financial Times why a drastic measure like a break-up was necessary, Ramon Tremosa, a Spanish member of the EU parliment who sponsored the motion, said the commission could not “ask the secret of [Google’s] algorithm” and was seeking other remedies to curb its power.