The European Commission is pushing forward with its mission to kneecap Google’s European operation, following through on their long held view that the search giant’s business practices are ‘anti-competitive’. Yesterday the Commission’s antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager confirmed that Google will be charged with skewing search results in favour of its own Google Shopping service; the charge will be the first of a multi-pronged attack on Google’s services. The Commission is looking to force Google to promote rival firms’ offers… 

There’s one problem with the allegation that Google is using its muscle to unfairly dominate the online shopping sphere – Google Shopping is doing terribly. Just take a look at this graph of unique visitors to UK shopping sites.

Or this one from France.

The online shopping market in Europe is booming with competing services enjoying the same low barrier to entry. The only surprise is how Google is doing so badly..

Techno wonders what would have happened if “Quaero“, the attempt to create a state backed “European Google killer” had not failed spectacularly. Would the EU Commission, who authorised €99 million of spending on the crap project, be so keen to stick the boot in if it was promoting its own services on its own site?