US prosecutors asked a judge on Wednesday to force Alphabet's&nbsp;Google to divest its Chrome browser, share data and search results with competitors and take other steps to end its internet search monopoly.

A court filing showed that the Department of Justice urged&nbsp;Google be banned from becoming the default search engine on smartphones, preventing the US tech giant from exploiting its Android mobile operating system.

The world's most popular web browser, Chrome provides user information to Google that helps the company profitably personalize which ads users see.&nbsp;Google controls about 90% of the online search market with over 60% of users relying on&nbsp;Google Chrome&nbsp;to perform those searches.

The sale of Chrome would "permanently stop Google's control of this critical search access point and allow rival search engines the ability to access the browser that for many users is a gateway to the internet," the Justice Department said.<figure class="image"><img src="https://static.dw.com/image/61668309_906.jpg" alt="Google Chrome and Gmail icons on a smartphone screen" title="Google Chrome and Gmail icons on a smartphone screen" class="hq-img loaded"><figcaption class="img-caption">Google controls about 90% of the online search market</figcaption></figure>

<h2>Changes in store for Google?</h2>

If US courts take the Justice Department's advice to force Google to sell off Chrome, it would come as a significant blow to the company's revenue.

Google has previously called the idea of a breakup "radical." The company is expected to submit its proposals for business practice changes in a court filing next month.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Adam Kovacevich, chief executive of the Chamber of Progress, an industry trade group, told the AFP news agency that government demands were "fantastical," adding that less intrusive measures were better suited to the case.

<h2>Google — the monopolist</h2>

In August this year, internet behemoth Alphabet lost the biggest antitrust challenge it has ever faced when a US judge ruled that its Google subsidiary was a monopoly in the online search market.

US Federal Court Judge Amit Mehta ruled that $26.3 billion (€24.9 billion) in payments Google made to other companies to make its internet search engine the default option on smartphones and web browsers effectively blocked any other competitor from succeeding in the market.

Touted as the "trial of the decade," the proposal marks the most significant government effort to curb the power of a technology company since the Justice Department unsuccessfully attempted to break up Microsoft two decades ago.

A trial on these proposals is set to begin in April of 2025, and Judge Mehta aims to deliver a verdict before September. However, as President Joe Biden hands over the reins to President-elect Donald Trump, the new Department of Justice officials could alter the course of the case.

mk/sms (AFP, Reuters, AP)

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Google must divest Chrome to end monopoly, US regulators say

Workers with labor&nbsp;union IG Metall took an&nbsp;extraordinary step on Wednesday, offering to take pay cuts in order to avoid mass lay-offs and plant closures planned by German carmaker&nbsp;Volkswagen.

Ahead of the next round of collective bargaining talks, the union and the VW workers' council offered to reduce labor costs by €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion). In exchange, employees were seeking&nbsp;guarantees on job security and the future of the company's nine factories across Germany.

If their demands aren't met, the union has indicated that a major strike could be imminent.

"Because sustainable solutions are needed, we are now going on the offensive and presenting a solution concept," said workers' council chairwoman Daniela Cavallo.&nbsp;"It is a counter-model to the board of management's plan to cut jobs, which prevents the future instead of creating it."

Cavallo also suggested that upper management waive their bonuses to alleviate the company's dire financial straits.

<h2>Why is Volkswagen struggling?</h2>

In September, the German auto giant announced that it would close three plants as part of widespread cost-cutting measures and nix a longstanding, generous pension plan.

Labor groups have&nbsp;vowed to meet sweeping lay-offs with mass resistance.&nbsp;

Since 2019, German car companies have shed about 46,000 jobs amid&nbsp;a shift to producing more electric vehicles. Competition from cheaper Chinese EVs and a general economic malaise in Germany has further hurt the auto industry.

In October, Volkswagen announced a 64% profit slump and its decision to close three plants, prompting an outcry from workers.

The company says it intends to cut some €18 billion from its budget.

es/sms (dpa, Reuters)

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VW workers offer pay cut, threaten strike over crisis

US automotive giant Ford plans to cut 4,000 jobs in Europe by 2027, pointing to significant losses in recent years.

The carmaker said on Wednesday that it would cut 14%&nbsp;of its European workforce with some 2,900 job cuts in Germany expected&nbsp;by the end of 2027. Another 800 jobs are due to be cut in the UK and 300 in other EU nations.

<h2>What did Ford say about the European job cuts?</h2>

Europe's automakers "face significant competitive and economic headwinds while also tackling a misalignment between CO2 regulations and consumer demand for electrified vehicles," the company said in a statement.



Dave Johnston, Ford's European vice president for transformation and partnerships, said it was "critical to take difficult but decisive action to ensure Ford's future competitiveness in Europe."

The company also plans to cut working time for workers in its plant in Cologne, Germany, which employs around 11,500 people, and reduce production of the&nbsp;Capri and Explorer electric vehicles manufactured there.

Ford said job cuts, expected to eliminate one in four jobs in the Cologne plant,&nbsp;would happen in consultation with labor representatives.

<h2>Tough times for EVs in Europe</h2>

On Wednesday, the company said that&nbsp;"the global auto industry continues to be in a period of significant disruption as it shifts to electrified mobility."



Western carmakers could face billions in fines if they fail to meet new EU regulations on carbon emissions which are due to go into force next year. Their push to sell more EVs is also curbed by competition from China, where a myriad of carmaking firms are able to offer cheaper electric cars.

On top of upcoming regulation and increased competition,&nbsp;Berlin cut government subsidies for EVs in December last year, in order to pass the government budget. Analysts report a sales slump of 28.6% for electric cars in Germany in the first nine months of this year.&nbsp;

<h2>Ford puts pressure on German government</h2>

Ford's management urged Berlin to improve market conditions for electric vehicle sales.

In a letter to the German government,&nbsp;Ford's chief financial officer John Lawler said&nbsp;Germany and Europe needed&nbsp; "an unmistakable, clear policy agenda" to promote electric mobility, which would include&nbsp;"public investments in charging infrastructure, meaningful incentives... and greater flexibility in meeting CO2 compliance targets."

According to Ford's managing director for Germany, Marcus Wassenberg, the latest cuts show the ongoing changes in the car industry. He pointed out high labor and energy costs in Germany, where the&nbsp;economy is deeply linked with its premium carmaking brands.

The news comes as Germany's Volkswagen is also set on cutting thousands of jobs in its German plants.

dj/kb (dpa, AP, Reuters)

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Ford looking to cut thousands of jobs in Europe

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his Chinese counterpart,&nbsp;Xi Jinping, met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Brazil on Tuesday.

The two leaders discussed the ties between their two major economies, as well as issues such as the war in Ukraine, with their countries supporting opposing sides in the conflict.

<h2>Olaf Scholz and Xi Jinping discuss China-Germany relations</h2>

"It is important that we ensure that a level playing field accompanies the economic activities of companies on all sides, that is central to the conditions for future work," the German chancellor told Xi.

The Chinese president reportedly urged the development of "strategic" and "long-term" ties between Berlin and Beijing, according to the Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

"China and Germany are both major countries with significant influence," Xi told Scholz.

German automakers have recently warned that tit-for-tat tariffs on electric vehicles from China and the EU could hit the German economy hard.

"It is hoped that Europe and China will resolve the issue of electric vehicles through dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible, and the German side is willing to make active efforts in this regard," Xi said, according to&nbsp;Xinhua.

<h2>Scholz brings up Ukraine in talk with Xi</h2>

Despite the economic ties between Germany and China, the two countries stand in stark opposition regarding&nbsp;the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

While Germany has, like its NATO allies, sought to boost Kyiv economically and militarily to help it fend off Russian attacks, China has given its tacit support to the invasion, boosting its ties with Russia.

Scholz brought the issue up with the Chinese president, saying it is important to discuss issues such as "Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine or dangerous situations as we are seeing elsewhere in the world, such as the developments in the Middle East."

"Nobody should have to fear their neighbor — a&nbsp;central principle&nbsp;of the world peace that we are intensely committed to," Scholz told Xi.

ab/rt&nbsp;(Reuters, AFP)

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Germany's Scholz, China's Xi hold talks at G20

On Monday, police in Grünheide, Germany, began the task of removing environmental activists from a forest encampment near&nbsp;the site of Tesla's new gigafactory outside&nbsp;Berlin.

Protesters are against further expansion of the&nbsp;electric carmaker's&nbsp;factory, pointing to the deforestation this would require, as well as raising serious concerns about the amount of water the facility will require for the production of batteries, and what this would mean for local drinking water supplies.

Authorities have informed activists in a protest camp in the forest surrounding the factory that they will be allowed to return as soon as the site is searched for unexploded WWII bombs and deemed safe.

The camp went up in February and partially overlaps land already approved for building.

<figure class="image"><img src="https://static.dw.com/image/70815399_906.jpg" alt="A red-and-white police cordon stretched in front of an improvised architectural structure at the Tesla protest camp in Grünheide, Germany" title="A red-and-white police cordon stretched in front of an improvised architectural structure at the Tesla protest camp in Grünheide, Germany" class="hq-img loaded"><figcaption class="img-caption">The protest camp overlaps property designated for expansion and set to be searched for WWII bombs </figcaption></figure>

A Potsdam police spokesperson&nbsp;reiterated the claim that the operation was not about clearing the protest camp but solely about ensuring that no bombs were present.

<h2>Two&nbsp;unexploded WWII bombs found earlier this year</h2>

Two such explosives&nbsp;were found onsite this summer and dealt with in controlled detonations.

On Monday, police said they would remove protesters after they&nbsp;refused to leave on their own last week, despite being offered a temporary&nbsp;alternative protest site. This meant authorities were forced to climb up into treehouses, according to police.

Police representatives did not say whether the protest camp will be dismantled when the area is searched.

Those involved in the protest say old bombs pose no threat under normal circumstances, and that they would present a danger only during future construction, accusing authorities of being dishonest in their intent.

Moreover, protesters accuse authorities of having no intention of respecting the wishes of local citizens, who voted against a further expansion.

Tesla, which is owned by Elon Musk, the world's richest man, has said it plans to double production at the site to manufacture one million cars annually.

On October 15, Brandenburg's Ministry of the Environment approved a partial expansion of the site.



js/jsi (AFP, dpa)

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Germany: Police remove Tesla protesters from forest camp

Farmers throughout France have organized large-scale protests on Monday against the proposed trade accord between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc of South American nations.

The farmers argue that the deal threatens their livelihoods by allowing a surge of cheap South American agricultural imports&nbsp;produced under less stringent environmental standards.

<h2>French farmers against 'unbalanced treaty'</h2>

As farmers face cheaper imports, burdensome regulations and meager incomes, a Mercosur deal would represent a bitter "cherry on the cake,"&nbsp;Arnaud Rousseau, head of France's main farmers' union, the FNSEA, told BFM TV.

"We are against the conclusion of an unbalanced treaty likely to destroy part of the French agricultural sector," he told French financial newspaper&nbsp;La Tribune Dimanche.&nbsp;

<figure class="image"><img src="https://static.dw.com/image/70806848_906.jpg" alt="French farmers drive their tractors on the RN118 road at the start of a nationwide protest against the EU-Mercosur agreement" title="French farmers drive their tractors on the RN118 road at the start of a nationwide protest against the EU-Mercosur agreement" class="hq-img loaded"><figcaption class="img-caption">French farmers are already frustrated with lower incomes and say the deal will be unfair to them</figcaption></figure>

According to Rousseau, farmers will conduct rallies on Monday and Tuesday, mainly in front of government buildings, with protests expected to last until mid-December.

Coordination Rurale, a union linked to the far right, has promised an "agricultural revolt," including&nbsp;food freight blockades beginning Tuesday&nbsp;in southwestern France.

French President Emmanuel Macron — who is currently on a tour of Latin America — has reiterated his long-standing opposition to the treaty.

After a meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei, Macron said France would not approve the agreement in its current form.

<h2>What is the deal?</h2>

The deal is between the European Union and a South American economic alliance called Mercosur. It includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia and looks to establish the largest free trade zone in the world — one that would encompass 700 million people.

While the aim of the deal is to lower tariffs and boost trade, French farmers have long expressed concerns that a Mercosur accord will bring more beef, chicken, sugar and maize from Brazil and Argentina to Europe, lowering their incomes.

Moreover, they say these countries use pesticides on crops and growth antibiotics in livestock that are outlawed in Europe.



<h2>Farmers' woes</h2>

French farmers have long expressed their dissatisfaction with declining incomes, stringent EU regulations and what they believe are excessive government demands.

Last winter, European farmers voiced similar frustrations after a surge in imports from Ukraine due to Russia's invasion.

However, resentment has worsened in France, where farmers have recently faced rain-hit harvests, livestock disease outbreaks&nbsp;and delayed measures promised to defuse previous protests.

The last time French farmers protested —&nbsp;in early 2024 —they blocked highways with tractors for weeks and dumped manure on the roads.



mk/lo&nbsp;(AP, dpa, Reuters)

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French farmers protest EU-Mercosur trade deal

Some 47,400 positions in Germany's health-care sector were unable to be filled by suitably qualified applicants in 2023/2024, suggesting that this is the area hardest-hit by the country's shortage of skilled labor, a new study has shown.

The problem has been exacerbated by the increased health demands in an aging population, with Germany's public health agency, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), predicting that the&nbsp;percentage&nbsp;of people&nbsp;<span data-enable-toggle-animation="true" data-extra-container-classes="ZLo7Eb" data-hover-hide-delay="1000" data-hover-open-delay="500" data-send-open-event="true" data-theme="0" data-ved="2ahUKEwjhto_qyuCJAxXewQIHHf3WEIQQmpgGegQIFxAD" data-width="250" jsaction="vQLyHf" jsname="d6wfac" jsslot="" role="button" tabindex="0">aged 65 or older will grow&nbsp;from the current 21% to 29% by 2030.

<h2>Growing burden</h2>

The study<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20"><path d="M11.5 3.5 11.5 4.233C14.342 4.233 15.167 4.245 15.167 4.258L8.984 10.467 10.033 11.516C14.826 6.725 16.228 5.333 16.242 5.333L16.267 9 17.733 9 17.733 2.767 11.5 2.767 11.5 3.5M2.267 11 2.267 17.233 16.733 17.233 16.733 12 15.267 12 15.25 15.75 9.5 15.75 3.75 15.75 3.75 6.25 9.5 6.233 9.5 4.767 2.267 4.767 2.267 11 "></path></svg> showed that the greatest shortage was that of physiotherapists, with almost&nbsp;11,600 unfilled vacancies.

The shortfall for dental assistants was 7,350,&nbsp;and 7,100 for health-care and&nbsp;nursing staff, according to the study.

"An aging population leads to an increasing demand for health-care services. This increases the burden on existing skilled labor," according to the authors of the study, carried out&nbsp;by the Competence Centre for Securing Skilled Labour at&nbsp;the German Economic Institute (IW).&nbsp;

<h2>Cross-sector problem</h2>

The study by the institute, which is affiliated with employers, also noted an average shortage of more than 530,000 qualified workers across all industries between July 2023 and June 2024.

The second-largest shortfall of skilled labor was in the field of&nbsp;preparatory construction-site work, construction installation and other finishing trades, where there were some 42,000 vacancies.

&nbsp;Construction electrics looked in vain to fill another&nbsp;10,350 positions.

This article draws on material from the dpa news agency.

While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing.

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Germany's health-care sector hit by skilled labor shortage

Russia's state-owned natural gas company Gazprom will end its natural gas deliveries to Austria this weekend, the country's largest energy supplier, OMV said on Friday.

OMV announced that Gazprom will stop supplying it with gas on Saturday.

The Austrian energy company said it had expected this development and that the country will continue to get gas through import from&nbsp;Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said the country has a secure supply of alternative fuel and that "no one will freeze."

"The supply is secure," Nehammer said in an appearance at the chancellery to address the situation.&nbsp;

"Our gas storage facilities are full and we have sufficient capacity to obtain gas from other regions," he added.

<h2>Most&nbsp;of Austria's gas supply is Russian</h2>

Austria's energy relationship with Russia dates back to the Cold War, as it was one of the first Western European countries to import gas from the Soviet Union in 1968.

The end of Russian gas deliveries to Austria follows an arbitration ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce, that awarded OMV some €230 million ($242 million) in a contractual dispute with Gazprom.

OMV then said it would stop paying Gazprom until it received an amount of gas equivalent to the €230 million that the Russian company owed them.

Austria gets most of its natural gas from Russia, as much as 98% in December 2023, according to Energy Minister Lenore Gewessler.



<h2>No change to Ukraine policy</h2>

Since the war in Ukraine began in 2022, only three European countries —Austria, Slovakia and Hungary&nbsp;—&nbsp;continued to import Russian gas via a pipeline that travels through Ukraine, despite the Russian invasion.

But Ukraine announced it will not continue gas transit on the pipeline after January 1, 2025, which would force those countries to find other suppliers.

Nehammer said in a statement on Friday that despite the halt in gas deliveries, his country would not change its Ukraine policy.

"We will not be blackmailed and will not be brought to our knees," he said.&nbsp;

Nehammer accused Gazprom of not fulfilling its delivery obligations on several occasions, with the goal of exerting pressure on Austria for its support of EU sanctions against Russia.&nbsp;

jcg/ab (dpa, Reuters, AP)

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Russia to stop supplying Austria with natural gas

The EU Commission on Friday predicted a slight increase in growth in the eurozone currency union and a continued fall in inflation in 2025.

However, the commission also pointed to risks arising from geopolitical tensions, as well as weak investment and a high cost of living.

<h2>What was the commission's 2025 forecast?</h2>

The EU Commission's forecasts showed eurozone growth ticking up to 1.3% in 2025, up from 0.8% this year, and described the bloc's performance as "steady, albeit subdued."

It predicted inflation would drop to 2.1%, compared with 2.4% this year.

"With the EU economy steadily recovering, growth should pick up more speed next year," commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis said.

"Still, given today's high geopolitical uncertainty and many risks, we cannot afford to be complacent. We need to deal with longstanding structural challenges".

The commission said that both consumer demand and investment were expected to recover.

"As the purchasing power of wages gradually recovers and interest rates decline, consumption is set to expand further," it said. "Investment is expected to rebound on the back of strong corporate balance sheets, recovering profits, and improving credit conditions."

Inflation in the eurozone has dropped significantly over the past two years after reaching 8.4% in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

According to the forecast, EU unemployment was at a "record low" of 5.9% in October.



<h2>Commission warns of 'uncertainty'</h2>

EU&nbsp;Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni warned that there remained "high uncertainty" in the face of geopolitical shifts and decreased consumer demand.

"High uncertainty has been weighing on consumption and investment," he said in a press conference.

"The trade outlook has been weak, reflecting weakness in global demand for industrial goods over the coming years," he said. He also said that Germany's economy was expected to decline by 0.1% in 2024 after having contracted by 0.3% in 2023.&nbsp;However, Gentiloni said that the eurozone's largest economy was predicted to grow by 0.7% in 2025 and 1.3% in 2026.

"A further increase in protectionist measures by trading partners could upend global trade, weighing on the EU's highly open economy," the commission said.

Donald Trump, who was elected the next US president earlier this month, has threatened to hit the EU and other parts of the world with tariffs in order to protect US industry.

Gentiloni called for EU member states to strengthen "competitiveness through investments and structural reforms" while also walking "a narrow path of bringing down debt levels while supporting growth."

sdi/ab (AFP, dpa)

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EU forecasts 'steady' eurozone growth despite 'uncertainty'

Chinese President Xi Jinping inaugurated a massive deep-water port in Peru on Thursday, which he called a "21st-century maritime Silk Road."

The Chancay megaport, a $1.3 billion (€1.23 billion) investment from China, is transforming the quiet fishing town on Peru's coast and highlights China's growing influence in Latin America. It&nbsp;is South America's first Chinese-funded port.

"Considerable income and enormous job opportunities will be generated for Peru," Xi spoke in Lima with Peruvian President Dina Boluarte.

Xi said the Chancay project would generate $4.5 billion in annual revenues, create more than 8,000 jobs and reduce the logistics costs of the Peru-China route by 20%, in an opinion piece published in the El Peruano newspaper.

Boluarte welcomed the opportunity presented by the launch of the port and praised China for playing "a major role in the growth of our economy."

<h2>Making inroads into South America</h2>

The Chancay port, a major venture by Chinese shipping giant Cosco, aims to streamline trade between South America and Asia, and marks a significant step in China's Belt and Road Initiative, with the first ship due to set sail from the port next week.

By 2025, the port will dock some of the world's largest container ships.<figure class="image"><img src="https://static.dw.com/image/70777000_906.jpg" alt="Xi Jinping and Dina Boularte" title="Xi Jinping and Dina Boularte" class="hq-img loaded"><figcaption class="img-caption">Xi said the Chancay project in Peru would generate $4.5 billion in annual revenues, create more than 8,000 jobs</figcaption></figure>

The megaport will also give China access to neighboring Brazil and exports such as soybeans and iron ore.

The port's inauguration comes as Beijing is turning toward resource-rich Latin America, amid trade tensions with Europe and concerns about future US tariffs on Chinese exports from the incoming Donald Trump administration.

Meanwhile, local fishermen and residents voiced concerns about the environmental impact and loss of traditional fishing zones due to the port.

"Our fishing spots no longer exist here. They destroyed them," said 78-year-old fisherman Julius Caesar. "I don't blame the Chinese for trying to mine this place for all it's worth. I blame our government for not protecting us."

<h2>Xi, Biden to meet one last time</h2>

Earlier this month, General Laura Richardson, former US Southern Command chief, warned that the Chinese military's navy could use Chancay for intelligence-gathering

Separately, the&nbsp;top US diplomat for Latin America, Brian Nichols, warned in Lima that Latin American nations must be vigilant on Chinese investment. 
US concerns over Chancay reflect a broader shift as China exerts influence in South America to become the leading trade partner for countries like Peru, a region Washington once considered its sphere of influence.

"Chancay illustrates how China seeks secure access to resources and markets and its ever more successful fight to corner global value added,"&nbsp;said Robert Evan Ellis, Latin America research professor at the US Army War College.

Thursday's inauguration comes as both US President Biden and Xi are due to hold talks Saturday in Lima on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit.

China's state-backed Global Times wrote in an editorial published on Monday that the port was a "bridge for practical cooperation between China and Latin America and is by no means a tool for geopolitical competition", calling US&nbsp;accusations of the port's potential military use "smears".



ss/lo&nbsp;(AP, AFP, Reuters)

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Xi inaugurates South America's first Chinese-funded port

The US aircraft giant can now restart production and generate much-needed cash after 59% of employees voted on Monday to accept Boeing's latest offer. The new contract also includes a $12,000 (€11,030) signing bonus and increased employer contributions to retirement and health care plans.

"The strike will end and now it's our job to get back to work and start building the airplanes, increase the rates and bring this company back to financial success," said Jon Holden, head of the Seattle branch of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) union.

"I'm proud of our members," Holden said. "They've achieved a lot and we're ready to move forward."

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said the company was pleased to have reached an agreement with workers.

"While the past few months have been difficult for all of us, we are all part of the same team," Ortberg added.

<h2>Why were workers striking?</h2>

A spate of accidents with Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft put workers under increased strain&nbsp;at the company's main plant in the US state of Washington. Accounts from whistleblowers revealed a culture of extreme pressure to produce airplanes even when safety concerns were raised.

Boeing workers had also accepted a number of pay freezes in recent years, even as the cost of living drastically increased.

Workers rejected Boeing's first two offers of 25% and 35% pay increases, voting to strike in mid-September.

While the union was successful in negotiating a higher rise in wages, the company did not meet some&nbsp;workers' demands to restore an older, more generous pension plan.

Ortberg, who only joined the beleaguered company in August, has announced that due to the strike and other factors, the company will be cutting 10% of its 170,000 jobs.&nbsp;

es/sms (AP, dpa)&nbsp;

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Boeing factory workers end 7-week strike

Investigators searched the offices of streaming giant Netflix in France and the Netherlands on Tuesday, as prosecutors opened an investigation into suspected financial fraud, judicial officials said.&nbsp;

The search is looking into "covering up serious tax fraud and off-the-books work" and is part of a probe opened in November 2022, a source told AFP news agency.

In Paris, the investigation was opened by the Parquet National Financier (PNF), which often probes big international companies. The raid was carried out by investigators specializing in financial crime and corruption.

"We are cooperating with the authorities in France, where Netflix is a significant contributor to the local economy, and we comply with the tax laws and regulations in all the countries in which we operate," a Netflix spokesperson said in a statement.

A raid was carried out simultaneously in Amsterdam, where the company's European headquarters are based.&nbsp;

Emma Bosma, a spokesperson for the National Office for Serious Fraud, Environmental Crime and Asset Confiscation, said the raid was carried out at the request of French authorities.

"Cooperation between the French and Dutch authorities has been underway for many months as part of these proceedings," the French source told Reuters.&nbsp;

<h2>What prompted the investigation?</h2>

The reason behind the investigation has not yet been made clear. European tax authorities often have difficulties with large tech companies with online services across borders.

The PNF has not shared the details of its investigation.

In France, the launch of such a probe does not imply criminal charges and the case might not necessarily go to trial at all.

French news website had reported last year that tax authorities were suspicious of Netflix Services France had such a low turnover despite a high number of paying customers.

The French subsidiary paid less than €1 million ($1.09 million) in corporate taxes, by involving a separate unit registered in the Netherlands, La Lettre had reported. This practice was stopped in 2021.

Netflix opened its office in Paris in 2020 and employs around 40 people.&nbsp;

Netflix had previously run into issues with Italian tax authorities which were resolved by payment of € 55.8 million&nbsp;in 2022.

tg/wmr (AFP, AP, Reuters)