Google Amends Proposal to Settle EU Antitrust Investigation

Google offered new proposals to address European Union concerns that the company unfairly uses its search engine to promote its own services.

The bloc gave Google's rivals four weeks to review the proposals, which change the way the company displays results, particularly for specialized shopping and local searches. The company also lowered from an earlier proposal the prices it charges rivals to appear in results. If the EU accepts Google's proposals, they will be binding on the company for five years. A trustee would be appointed to monitor compliance. The binding offer marks a new step for a company that earlier in 2013 was able to exit a similar investigation by the US Federal Trade Commission after making only voluntary commitments. If the European Commission doesn't accept Google's proposals, it can ask for further changes or begin formal legal antitrust proceedings. The commission has sent a request for information to 125 companies, including all the complainants and rivals who responded to earlier Google proposals.

"We're seeking targeted feedback on specific points," a senior EU official said. Google proposed displaying three sets of results from rival search engines in a box under its own shopping results. The rivals still would have to pay through an auction mechanism to be featured, as proposed earlier, but the minimum price for search terms has been cut to three European cents from 10 European cents (to four US cents from 14 US cents).