Google Keeps Yelp, Consumer Watchdog Out of EU Court Appeal

(Bloomberg) -- Google won a European Union court order that prevents local search service Yelp Inc. and advocacy group Consumer Watchdog from teaming up with the EU at a legal challenge of a 2017 antitrust fine.

The EU’s General Court said Yelp "cannot be directly affected" by the EU’s ruling over Google’s comparison-shopping search service, according to a filing published on its website. Yelp and U.S.-based nonprofit Consumer Watchdog had jointly sought to help the EU in the court case. Their request was denied.

Google Fails to Comply With EU’s Antitrust Order: Shopping Sites

The court also rejected requests to intervene in the case from digital advertiser Connexity Inc. and from two groups, ICOMP and FairSearch, which the court said couldn’t prove they represented businesses affected by the EU probe. FairSearch’s members include Oracle Corp., Naspers Ltd. and TripAdvisor Inc.

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