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The European Commission has launched an investigation into Google after other search engines complained that the firm had abused its dominant position.
The body said it would look into whether the world's largest search engine lowered the ranking of competing services in its results.
The probe follows complaints by British price comparison site Foundem and French legal search engine ejustice.fr.
"The European Commission has decided to open an antitrust investigation into allegations that Google has abused a dominant position in online search," the body said in a statement.
It said the action followed "complaints by search service providers about unfavourable treatment of their services in Google's unpaid and sponsored search results coupled with an alleged preferential placement of Google's own services."
[edited by: engine at 12:43 pm (utc) on Nov 30, 2010]
[edit reason] added link and quotes [/edit]
The European Commission has decided to open an antitrust investigation into allegations that Google Inc. has abused a dominant position in online search, in violation of European Union rules (Article 102 TFEU). The opening of formal proceedings follows complaints by search service providers about unfavourable treatment of their services in Google's unpaid and sponsored search results coupled with an alleged preferential placement of Google's own services. This initiation of proceedings does not imply that the Commission has proof of any infringements. It only signifies that the Commission will conduct an in-depth investigation of the case as a matter of priority.
Google's internet search engine provides for two types of results when people are searching for information. These are unpaid search results, which are sometimes also referred to as "natural", "organic" or "algorithmic" search results, and third party advertisements shown at the top and at the right hand side of Google's search results page (so-called paid search results or sponsored links).
The Commission's probe will additionally focus on allegations that Google imposes exclusivity obligations on advertising partners, preventing them from placing certain types of competing ads on their web sites, as well as on computer and software vendors, with the aim of shutting out competing search tools. Finally, it will investigate suspected restrictions on the portability of online advertising campaign data to competing online advertising platforms.
because Google can point to lots of price comparison sites which do well.
It's certainly not the EU's job to rebuild the economy of any country.
Do they pick the easy targets on purpose?
The European Commission has launched an investigation into Google after other search engines complained that the firm had abused its dominant position.
"Google is exploiting its dominance of search in ways that stifle innovation, suppress competition, and erode consumer choice," Foundem said in its complaint filed in February 2010.
