EU recommends settlement with Google

European antitrust regulators said it was in the public's interest to reach a settlement with Google quickly to resolve allegations of market abuse. "I believe that these fast-moving markets would particularly benefit from a quick resolution of the competition issues identified," said Joaquin Almunia, the head of the European Commission's antitrust division. "Restoring competition swiftly to the benefit of users at an early stage is always preferable to lengthy proceedings," he said. Almunia said he had outlined four points for Google to address, including "search results, Google displays links to its own vertical search services differently than it does for links to competitors." The second concern, he said, "relates to the way Google copies content from competing vertical search services and uses it in its own offerings." Third, he said, the way Google delivers search advertisements in a manner in which it is "in de facto exclusivity requiring them to obtain all or most of their requirements of search advertisements from Google. Finally, he said, Google puts restrictions on "the portability of online search advertising campaigns from its platform AdWords to the platforms of competitors." A Google representative said the company was willing to discuss the issue with the European Commission, but that it did not agree with the investigation that concluded Google may have been abusing its dominant position for online searches, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday. The complaints came from companies who alleged Google was not giving equal service to Internet searches. "We disagree with the conclusions but we're happy to discuss any concerns they might have," the company's representative said.