Google Accused of Stifling Competition in Email Market
Tuta Mail, an encrypted email service with over 10 million users worldwide, has accused Google of manipulating search results to suppress its visibility. The company claims that since March 2024, its ranking in Google searches for "encrypted email" has plummeted, leading to a 90% drop in website traffic.
Tuta Mail alleges that Google's actions violate the EU's Digital Markets Act, which designates large companies like Google as "gatekeepers" subject to stricter regulations. The company argues that Google's manipulation of search results unfairly favors its own Gmail service and stifles competition in the email market.
Google denies the accusations, claiming that Tuta Mail remains easily accessible through its search engine. The company maintains that its search ranking algorithms are objective and do not favor any particular website, including its own.
However, Tuta Mail argues that niche email services like itself cannot compete effectively if they are not visible in search results for common terms like "encrypted email." The company believes that Google's actions are a deliberate attempt to maintain its dominance in the email market and prevent the emergence of serious competitors.
The EU is currently investigating Google's practices to determine whether they violate the Digital Markets Act. The outcome of this investigation could have significant implications for the future of competition in the online market.