Media News - Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Google offers to settle EU antitrust case

Google may offer to change how it ranks other sites in its search engine listings to settle with the European commission's antitrust investigators over accusations that it has abused its dominant market position in search and online advertising. A similar investigation is under way in the US, where the Federal Trade Commission is conducting a parallel investigation with similar concerns. A letter from Google, before the expiration of a deadline on Monday, is understood to offer a series of proposals to deal with claims made by EC competition chief Joaquin Almunia in May. Almunia's office will now have to decide whether to accept Google's proposals and settle the case, or to file formal charges which could lead to a drawn-out battle with the US search giant through the courts. Google was accused by antitrust investigators of acting improperly in the way that it ranked rivals in search results; in copying content from other sites; in tying sites to exclusive advertising agreements; and in restricting the portability of advertising campaigns from its platform to competitors. (The Guardian)

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