EU: FTC decision on Google won't affect our case
Google may have settled its issues in the U.S., but it still faces scrutiny in Europe over its search practices.
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Google may be free and clear in the U.S. over its search practices, but the European Union still has a thing or two to say.
The European Commission, which is the executive body of the European Union, told Reuters that the FTC settlement with the Internet search giant wouldn't affect own decision-making process, although it has taken note of it.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission yesterday announced a settlement with Google, allowing competitors unhappy with how its search results are displayed to opt out and forcing the company to make some changes to its search practices to appease regulators.
Some, however, believe Google got off lightly -- it avoided having to pay any fines. Separately, Google was told to stop blocking the use of crucial standards-based patents that it and unit Motorola Mobility own.
The European Commission has spent the past two years investigating Google after competitors such as Microsoft complained that Google adjusted search results to bring up its products and Web sites first. Google is expected to attempt to address the concerns of European regulators this month.
Google could face fines up to $4 billion if it fails to reach an agreement with European regulators.