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FairSearch.org protest travels to Europe

February 22, 2012 | Online Travel

The FairSearch Coalition announced that it has expanded its presence into Europe, with the launch of a new site at FairSearchEuopre.org. The organization says that as its membership has grown, it has realized that the concerns it was founded on are not limited to the U.S.

Since FairSearch.org launched in October 2010, we’ve highlighted the important role that fair competition in online search plays in promoting economic growth, innovation and choice across the Internet ecosystem. When dominant companies abuse their market power to advantage their own products and services or to limit competition in the marketplace, consumers end up paying the price.

As our membership has grown, we’ve realized these concerns aren’t limited to the U.S.

That’s why we’re proud to announce the launch of FairSearchEurope.org – an expansion that will allow us to better tell our story, and those of our members, on a global scale. European consumers can now view customized, in-language versions of the coalition’s website in English, French, German and Spanish.

Thomas Vinje will join the coalition as its European Counsel. Vinje is based in Brussels, where he has represented a number of high tech and Internet companies.

“FairSearch.org has an important story to tell in Europe, and I want to help them tell it,” Vinje said.

“Search is where people enter the Internet, looking for cultural and commercial information. In addition to general search engines such as Google, consumers use specialized search engines to help them find flights, hotels, restaurant reviews, shopping deals and directions. Companies that run these specialized sites are creative and some have tailored their listings to add consumer feedback or to help people find things locally,” Vinje said.

“We believe consumers are entitled to choose the best specialized search engine in an informed manner on a level playing field. We do not want one dominant company surreptitiously to steer users to its own offering, which is sometimes inferior,” he said. “Consumers deserve to understand what is going on, so they can decide for themselves.”

The FairSearch.org coalition’s members are: adMarketplace; Buscapé; Expedia Inc., and its brands Expedia.com and Hotwire; Foundem; the Interactive Travel Services Association (ITSA); KAYAK, and its brand SideStep; Level…com; Microsoft; Sabre Holdings, and its brands Travelocity and ZUJI; ShopCity.com; TripAdvisor; and Twenga.

Related Link: FairSearch.org, FairSearchEurope.org

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