Regulatory clouds over Google have largely cleared

Google once appeared headed for major clashes with regulators — in the United States or Europe, or both — as government officials sought to curb alleged abuses by one of the world’s most powerful and profitable technology companies. But the clouds over Google’s Silicon Valley headquarters have largely cleared over the past several months.

There are many reasons for this, but the most important may be Google’s ability to learn from Microsoft’s mistakes. Major antitrust battles on both sides of the Atlantic sapped the focus of a company that once was the unquestioned titan of tech. Microsoft was slow to adapt to the Internet economy, slow to see the potential of Web search, slow to build the world-changing products that consumers have come to expect from Apple and, yes, Google. Google executives have made clear their determination to avoid a big regulatory battle. Rather than challenge government officials to a public fight, they’ve negotiated hard behind closed doors. And, so far, they’ve given enough to get regulators off their back without ceding anything essential to how Google’s businesses work.