Europe: Google must make more concessions

The European Commission does not think a third settlement proposal from Google in a case about anticompetitiveness is good enough. The company must come up with more concessions. The Commission is also likely to open a competition case against Android.

Earlier it seemed that the European Commission would approve the settlement proposal, but European Commissioner Joaquín Almunia has brushed the proposal off the table, writes the Financial Times, although the Commissioner previously called the proposal ‘satisfactory’.

The Commission is said to have changed its mind after objections from competitors, including Microsoft. As part of the settlement proposal, Google promised that it would give more attention to services from competitors, but Microsoft says the changes hardly lead to improvements. Furthermore, Google promises that it will clearly indicate when it promotes its own services. The competition case revolved around the complaint that Google favors its own services in its search results.

Almunia went on to say that the Commission will “probably” open an investigation into Android. It was previously rumored that the European Commission would open a new competition case against Google. Google may have abused Android’s dominant market position.