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EU: Latest update says Commission has accepted Google settlement

By  |  April 15, 2013

As reports emerged last week that Google has submitted concessions to the European Commission to settle allegations of abusing its market dominance in the way it presents search results, the latest updates are reporting that sources confirmed the Commission has approved of the proposed settlement. Two anonymous sources who were briefed on the situation have told reporters that the settlement will be accepted by the Commission – Google will not be required to change its algorithm that determines search results, but the results will now be clearly distinguished as either Google-owned or not. Additionally, some links from competing search engines will also be presented.

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    As rivals will weigh-in on the changes, any noticeable alterations will not be seen by consumers for at least one month during market testing. The Commission’s approval of the settlement will officially end the saga of a two-year long investigation into Google that began in 2010. The settlement would be legally binding for five years, according to the sources.

    While this particular case may lead to a happy ending for Google, the conglomerate continues to face a new wave of allegations accusing the company of deceptively gaining an advantage over rivals concerning its applications in various smartphones using the Android software. The latest case was first revealed earlier this month.

    Full Content: New York Times

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