France named Google a monopoly this summer.
“Google holds a dominant position on the advertising market related to online searches,” the French Competition Authority concluded. “Its search engine enjoys a wide popularity and currently totals around 90 percent of the Web searches made in France. Moreover, there are strong barriers to entry for this activity.”
France ordered Google to work with a database service called Navx, which shows drivers in France where police speed traps are likely to be set up. Google found Navx distasteful and stopped doing business with it. As a result, a Google search in France for "radar traps" would show results with no Navx ads on the page.
Navx claimed the change caused its business to drop. The French ruling cited ad discrimination against Google and it was forced to resume running Navx’s online ads.
The Eiffel Tower is illuminated during the traditional Bastille Day fireworks display in Paris July 14.
