Google accused of manipulating search results to thwart rival services

Google accused of manipulating search results to thwart rival services
26 Apr 2024

Tuta Mail, a global email service provider claiming to have over 10 million users, has accused tech giant Google of exploiting its market dominance to limit Tuta Mail's visibility in search results.

The company claims that since March 2024, its ranking in Google searches for terms like "encrypted email" has significantly dropped.

Tuta Mail has lodged a formal complaint with the European Union (EU), alleging that Google's actions have adversely affected its business.

Tuta Mail witnessing 90% drop in traffic
Results affected

In its complain, Tuta Mail states, "At the beginning of March 2024 Google suddenly stopped displaying our website for thousands of keywords."

This manipulation has led to 90% decrease in monthly visits to Tuta Mail's website, the company alleges in its complaint.

Following Google's actions, traffic to Tuta Mail's site only came from searches specifically mentioning its product names.

"Google must stop this unfair limitation of showing our website in search results immediately," said Matthias Pfau, co-founder of Tuta Mail.

Google refutes Tuta Mail's allegations
Denial

Google has refuted Tuta Mail's allegations, stating that its search ranking updates do not favor any specific website, including its own.

"Search ranking updates absolutely do not aim to preference Google products, or any other particular website. The email provider in question is easily accessible globally on Search," the tech giant responded.

This statement comes after Google acknowledged an update in early March and warned about potential ranking fluctuations.

Accusation of violating new EU law
Legal breach

Tuta Mail has accused Google of violating a new European Union law implemented in March 2024.

The law categorizes large firms like Google as "gatekeepers" and prohibits them from favoring their own services over competitors.

"Google in its role as a gatekeeper is impacting the profits and marketability of our private email service Tuta Mail - a direct competitor to Google's Gmail, which goes against the Digital Markets Act," Tuta Mail stated.