Google targeted under European Union plan to regulate search engines

The European Commission is for the first time preparing to regulate how search engines such as Google operate, under draft proposals designed to bolster the rights of businesses and app makers that rely on big internet giants to sell their services. The European Commission has expanded its plans to regulate the relationship online platforms such as Amazon and Apple have with vendors to also include the practices of search engines such as Google. Under the plans, the tech platforms would be required to provide companies with more information about how their ranking algorithms work. They would also need to offer businesses, app makers, and traders a formal complaint process if they were demoted or de-listed without explanation. Under the rules, search engines will also need to provide companies with “upfront” information about how their ranking algorithm works and assurances that “that the ranking is conducted in good faith”. They will also need to tell businesses if they can pay to bump up their prominence in search results.