Will Google follow Microsoft in EU probe?

Google's Internet search algorithm is the technology world's equivalent of the Coca-Cola formula: a top-secret corporate crown jewel. But pressure is growing on Google to lift the veil on some of its inner workings as European regulators investigate complaints that Google's search engine unfairly discriminates against certain websites.

The case underscores the increased scrutiny over Google's influence in the Internet industry and could set the stage for the kind of long-running regulatory battle fought in the past by technology giants like Microsoft. Odds are that the world's No. 1 search engine will seek to keep prying eyes -- even those of the European Commission, known in many circles globally as the toughest watchdog -- away from the ranking algorithms that are the core of its business.