The European Commission
has indicated that new concessions offered by Google could end its
long-running anti-trust investigation against the search giant.
Few details about the concessions were released, but they are
believed to include measures to make it easier for web users to see
results from Google's rivals.
The company was accused by rivals in 2010 of squeezing out competition.
If found guilty, Google faces huge fines.
"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.
Own logos
In April Google suggested a package of concessions, including
an offer to label its own services and to make it easier for people to
use rival advertising services.
But the deal was rejected by rivals, who said it did not go far enough.
In a statement on Tuesday, Google's general counsel Kent
Walker said: "Given the feedback the European Commission received on our
first proposal, they have insisted on further, significant changes to
the way we display search results."
"We've made the difficult decision to agree to their requirements in the interests of reaching a settlement."
The deal would allow Google's competitors to display their
own logos next to their services and take up more space on Google's
result pages.
It would also allow websites greater control over what parts of their sites appear in Google's results.
Mr Almunia said the commission would now give Google's competitors a chance to look at its proposals.
FairSearch, the umbrella group that is lobbying against Google, said that it had yet to see the details of the deal.
Thomas Vinje, legal counsel for the group, said in a
statement: "It is essential that Google applies the same rules to its
own services as it does to others when it returns and displays search
results."
Rejected deal
Google dominates search in Europe, accounting for 80% of the market.
EU regulators have been investigating Google's business
practices since 2010, following complaints from more than a dozen
companies, including Microsoft and price comparison site Foundem.
The commission's investigation centred on four areas:
- the manner in which Google displays its own vertical search services compared with other, competing products
- how Google copies content from other websites - such as restaurant reviews - to include within its own services
- the exclusivity Google has to sell advertising around search terms people use
- restrictions on advertisers from moving their online ad campaigns to rival search engines.
A decision on the case could be made next spring, Mr Almunia said.
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