Google faces new EU antitrust probe

The European Commission confirmed on the 24 February 2010 that it had received three complaints against Google which it will examine. The Commission had not yet opened a formal investigation for the time being.

As is usual when the Commission receives complaints, it informed Google earlier in February 2010 and asked the company to comment on the allegations. The Commission closely cooperates with the national competition authorities.

Google made a statement on the subject that can be found via the related url hyperlink.

The complaints came from a UK price comparison site, Foundem, a French legal search engine called ejustice.fr, and Microsoft's Ciao! from Bing.

A Financial Times editorial asks the question: 'The overarching issue is: does the gatekeeping role of web search give it [Google] a public utility-like role?

European Commission: MEMO/10/47: Statement on press reports on complaints against Google http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/10/47

Google: European Public Policy Blog: Committed to competing fairly , 24.2.10 http://googlepolicyeurope.blogspot.com/2010/02/committed-to-competing-fairly.html

France24, 24.2.10: EU targets Google in anti-competition probe http://www.france24.com/en/20100224-google-antitrust-competition-european-commission-inquiry-probe-foundem-ciao-ejustice

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