Last year, the Office for the Protection of Competition conducted an investigation into Google Czech Republic and its parent companies over concerns of possible abuse of a dominant position. The investigation was concluded after Google implemented changes to its Google Merchant Centre (GMC) service that addressed the competition issues raised by the Office.

The investigation revealed that Google may have applied different conditions for similar services, disadvantaging certain market participants. GMC, which is essential for promoting products through Google Ads, was found to have inconsistencies in how it treated various goods, particularly investment gold and silver, which were not supported for advertising.

A complainant reported that their GMC account was suspended for promoting investment gold and silver, while similar products from other sellers were allowed. This inconsistency created an uneven playing field in the online market, limiting competition and consumer choice.

In response to the Office's findings, Google undertook several corrective measures, including a review of the keywords used to identify unsupported content and providing training to staff managing the GMC service. The Office deemed these actions sufficient, leading to the closure of the case without further administrative proceedings.