James Delahunty
2 Oct 2013 20:56
The European Commission has indicated that it is closer to a settlement with search giant Google in a three-year old anti-trust probe.
After being told by the European regulatory body that it needs to go back and come up with more concessions, Google has reportedly provided more offers to Commissioners that could end the case.
"We have reached a key moment in this case. Now with significant improvements on the table, I think we have the possibility to work again," competition commissioner Joaquin Almunia told the European Parliament.
Specifics of Google's concessions were not revealed but they are expected to make Google's search results more clear. For example, Google's own services will be clearly identified as such in search results, while its rivals may also be able to attach their own corporate logos to results.
Website will also be able to control better what content from their site is shown on Google's results.
In 2010, a group of rivals in search and e-commerce complained to the European authorities that Google was abusing its dominant position in search to push its own other services ahead of those that compete with it.