The
European Union’s antitrust chief said Tuesday that he might yet take a
tougher stance toward Google in a long-running case that he and the
company have been in talks to settle for more than a year.
The announcement, by Joaquín Almunia, is a potential blow for Google, which reached a tentative deal with Mr. Almunia in February by agreeing to display rivals’ links more prominently in its search results. Google has been trying to resolve the three-year case and avoid a potential fine of up to $5 billion.
But whether the announcement was an indication of a new hard line by Mr. Almunia or a diplomatic nod to the company’s many critics in Europe was not clear. And any action would still be months away.
Companies critical of Google’s business practices, and prominent members of the French and German governments, have assailed the proposed settlement as doing too little to improve competition in online searches and advertising.
Mr. Almunia said at a news conference on Tuesday that he still wanted to settle the case. But he also said he could file formal charges against the company if a further round of feedback about the settlement from 19 groups and companies, including Microsoft and publishers in Germany, was persuasive.
Read more: E.U. Antitrust Chief Casts Doubt on Google Deal Over Rivals’ Links - NYTimes.com
The announcement, by Joaquín Almunia, is a potential blow for Google, which reached a tentative deal with Mr. Almunia in February by agreeing to display rivals’ links more prominently in its search results. Google has been trying to resolve the three-year case and avoid a potential fine of up to $5 billion.
But whether the announcement was an indication of a new hard line by Mr. Almunia or a diplomatic nod to the company’s many critics in Europe was not clear. And any action would still be months away.
Companies critical of Google’s business practices, and prominent members of the French and German governments, have assailed the proposed settlement as doing too little to improve competition in online searches and advertising.
Mr. Almunia said at a news conference on Tuesday that he still wanted to settle the case. But he also said he could file formal charges against the company if a further round of feedback about the settlement from 19 groups and companies, including Microsoft and publishers in Germany, was persuasive.
Read more: E.U. Antitrust Chief Casts Doubt on Google Deal Over Rivals’ Links - NYTimes.com
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