The European Comission may ask Google to make extra concessions to European Union regulators to keep an antitrust settlement that faces opposition from technology companies, according to reports.
Google may be asked by the EU to change how data from competing services are displayed along with search results, Bloomberg reported.Other modifications may include addressing how YouTube content is presented in reply to search requests, the publication's source said.
In February, Google agreed to make concessions on how it displays competitors' links, striking a deal that ended a three-year antitrust probe and avoided a hefty fine.
EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia has defended the settlement in the face of criticism from other EU officials and Google rivals. Deutsche Telekom AG and French and German publishers have filed additional complaints about the company in recent months.
The EU won’t decide on what it will do with its antitrust case until September.
Regulators have sent letters to opponents of the deal, including Microsoft and Almunia has promised to weigh their responses before deciding whether to finally accept Google’s settlement offer, which would then shut the antitrust case without imposing any fines or making any finding that the company violated antitrust law.
Google may face other investigations, including regarding its Android operating system for smartphones.
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