Google antitrust probe could benefit Microsoft-Yahoo search partnership

The European Commission's decision to launch an antitrust investigation into Google activities could be the start of a long, tough haul for the search giant, analysts say.

"At the very least, this will force Google to spend time and resources complying with the investigation and mounting a legal defense," said Dan Olds, an analyst with The Gabriel Consulting Group. "The news is that the EU has launched an investigation," Olds added. "It really depends on what violations are alleged and how the EU laws treat those violations. Google has to take this seriously, but at this point we don't know whether it's going to be a mountain or a molehill."

The level of distraction could quickly mount if the investigation leads to new antitrust complaints filed against Google by competitors, or investigations by regulators from other countries, including the US, analysts said. "This makes it more attractive for any company to cry foul against Google," said Whit Andrews, an analyst for Gartner. "[U.S. companies] could point to Europe and say, 'We're not the only ones who think Google is too powerful.'"