EU: Officials dash hopes of revisit to Google settlement

European Commissioner Joaquin Almunia shot down hopes of Google rivals and consumer advocates Tuesday when he told a committee the Commission is unlikely to revisit Almunia’s decision to settle with the search giant, ending a three-year investigation into the company.

While “the case is still open,” Almunia confirmed, the competition chief spoke at a European Parliament committee to counter criticism to the settlement. The Commission is preparing letters to send to Google complainants, according to reports.

Critics of the settlement claim the deal will actually worsen the business practices that brought Google under fire in the first place. The company is accused of abusing its market dominance in how it displays rivals’ search results. Google has offered to alter how those results are displayed, among other concessions.

Almunia said that there is “no doubt” that the case will conclude by the time he leaves the Commission in October.

Full Content: Wall Street Journal

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