Italy antitrust chief warns of Google publishing monopoly

PanARMENIAN.Net - Google risks becoming a publishing monopoly within a few years, Italy's antitrust chief said on Tuesday, adding that social networks should be subject to antitrust limits.

"In the course of a few years, Google could become a monopoly in this market," Giovanni Pitruzzella told Italy's lower house of parliament, referring to the publishing sector.

The country's antitrust regulation should extend to internet media including social networks, which are competing with traditional publishing companies for advertising revenues, Pitruzzella added, Reuters reported.