Google Faces Antitrust Investigation By European Union Regulators

The EU has accused the search giant of illegally using its search powers to squash competition.

The European Union opened an antitrust investigation into Google on Wednesday as the bloc's competition commissioner accused the company's search engine of systematically favoring its own services.

.@EU_Commission accuses Google of systematically favouring own shopping comparison service http://t.co/t3l3CPrkFc / http://t.co/MY0cQYPo0i

Commissioner Margrethe Vestager's "statement of objection" could force the internet giant to change its business model in Europe, as well as pay a large fine.

Vestager alleged that Google used its powers as a search engine to promote its other services over other companies, the Financial Times reported. The investigation began five years ago, the Wall Street Journal reported, and it's set to be the largest antitrust case against a company since Microsoft.

Speaking in Brussels, Commissioner Vestager said that the company's Android operating system would also be investigated, and that the EU would continue to monitor other activities Google's rivals had complained about, the BBC said.

.@EU_Commission opens investigation against Google re. Android mobile operating system http://t.co/t3l3CPrkFc / http://t.co/2Xn1oSHyL1

According to the New York Times, the company could settle with regulators, which would result in changes to its European business. If it doesn't, regulators could levy more than $6 billion in fines. So far, the largest fine ever assessed by the EU was more than $1 billion to Microsoft in 2009.

Google responded to the EU's charges in a statement on its official Blogspot:

While Google may be the most used search engine, people can now find and access information in numerous different ways -- and allegations of harm, for consumers and competitors, have proved to be wide of the mark.

In fact, people have more choice than ever before.

An earlier Google internal memo said it felt it had a "strong case," TechCrunch reported.

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