Sex toy vendor complains to EU about Google search rules 

Sex toy vendor Lovehoney Group has filed a complaint with the European Commission alleging that Google’s content rules for search break EU law by unfairly excluding the company’s products from its results.

UK-based Lovehoney alleges that Google’s Safe Search function — which screens content for certain users — unfairly suppresses links to legally sold, age-unrestricted products on its website such as Womanizer.com and We-Vibe, while similar items from mainstream retailers remain visible.

The group says that retailers like Rossmann and Carrefour are not treated in such a manner and this breaches the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which is designed to ensure a fair and open digital market.

The self-described “global leader in sexual wellness products” made its submission to the Commission on March 7, and later met with the DMA unit responsible, company spokesperson Verena Singmann told POLITICO.

“It is our [goal to] promote sexual happiness and empowerment because we know that it is imperative for people’s health, wellbeing and happiness,” added Singmann.

Singmann said the company is urging the Commission to ensure that gatekeepers apply content rules in a fair and transparent manner.

A spokesperson for the Commission said it had received the complaint and is reviewing it as “market information,” as the regulation does not include a formal complaint mechanism.