Authorities raid Czechia's biggest search engine in shock move

In a surprise move, inspectors from the Czech Republic's Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS) raided the headquarters of Seznam.cz, the country's leading search engine and online portal, on Tuesday. They allege that the Czech company has abused its market position.

Ivo Lukačovič, founder and majority owner of Seznam.cz, took to social media to express his distress, writing: "[This is] one of the hardest days of my professional life." The unexpected inspection is a significant blow to the company, which has been a dominant player in the Czech online market since its founding in 1996.

According to ÚOHS spokesman Martin Švanda, the investigation is focused on "reasonable suspicions of possible anti-competitive behavior, specifically the abuse of a dominant position." 

While details of the investigation remain scarce, Seznam.cz has confirmed that it is cooperating with authorities. "We are not aware that any proceedings have been initiated against us, but of course we are at the disposal of the representatives of the office," said Seznam spokeswoman Aneta Kapuciánová.

This is not the first time Seznam.cz has faced scrutiny from the ÚOHS. The company has a history of cooperating with the authority, and it remains to be seen whether this latest investigation will yield any significant findings. 

Lukačovič, who has been relatively quiet on social media in recent years, has been more vocal of late, particularly about his Windy project, which focuses on weather forecasting for aviation.

In a recent social media post, Lukačovič addressed concerns about the direction of Seznam Zprávy, the company's news website, which has been accused of deviating from its original conservative focus. "They discussed an awful lot and I recommend listening. Among other things, there was also the fact that since its establishment in 2016, Seznam Zprávy has drifted away from its right-wing focus elsewhere. The board will look into it and, he said, they will try to 'get it back on track.' I'm keeping my fingers crossed," Lukačovič had written.

As the investigation unfolds, Seznam.cz faces an uncertain future, with its dominant market position hanging in the balance.