European Union Prepares to Step Up Google Investigations

European Union antitrust regulators are preparing to step up their investigations into Google on several fronts, including revisiting a proposed settlement over its search-engine practices that has met with unprecedented opposition.

The European Commission is likely to revise some terms of a settlement announced in February, aimed at dealing with concerns that the company abuses its dominance of online searches in Europe, a person with knowledge of the situation said.

The antitrust probes are only one element of a number of challenges faced by Google in Europe, where the company has faced allegations over issues ranging from corporate taxes to copyright issues to data privacy.

The commission is also deepening a second line of investigation into Google's business practices relating to its Android operating system for mobile phones. The Android inquiry isn't yet a formal investigation, but it is likely to become one, the person said.