Google sued by Streetmap over 'unfair' competition

Streetmap declined because it failed to 'add value' for users, argues Google

Google is being sued by Streetmap over claims that the internet giant unfairly favours its own online mapping service to the detriment of rivals.

Google provides itself with "preferential treatment" by displaying a map image linking to its own mapping service.

In court in London yesterday, Mark Hoskins, the lawyer for Streetmap, said: "Documents show the new-style Maps OneBox allowed Google to take advantage of its dominant position in online search to drive traffic to Google Maps in the online mapping market."

He added: "We say that's not normal competition because normal competition would be for Google to compete on the quality of the maps."

The company claims it experienced a "dramatic loss of traffic" as a result of Google's activities. Google, not surprisingly, contests the claims. It argues that Streetmap declined because it simply wasn't good enough and failed to innovate. The service has barely changed in more than a decade.

"Our company was badly wronged by what Google did after 2007," said Streetmap director Kate Sutton in a statement before the trial. "Had it not been for what we say was Google's anti-competitive behaviour, our company and other companies would have been able to compete with Google, which would have been for the benefit of consumers and businesses."

Streetmap's decline, argued Google, "may lie in consumers' changing preferences in response to competition and innovation in the market". Streetmap declined because it "focused mainly or entirely on the display of maps without adding value for users" and was "already facing decline".

Streetmap's service is based on Ordnance Survey maps, whereas Google built its own and has adapted them with Streetview and absorbed them into its Android mobile operating system.

Google is also under investigation by the European Union over alleged anti-competitive behaviour. Competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager has highlighted, in particular, Google's alleged "misuse of a dominant position" as a high priority, and also singled out Google Maps, in particular, for investigation by the EU.