Updated on
Summary
The European Commission announced Tuesday that it has opened a formal antitrust investigation into Google Inc., setting up what could be the first major test of whether the online search giant abuses its dominance to enrich itself and elbow out rivals. The panel in Brussels, which represents the 27 nations in the European Union, said it will explore a number of specific allegations by competitors. If they are found true, it would show a pattern of Google exploiting its market power to bolster its advertising business and quash competition in other online services. The commission's move follows years of growing scrutiny of Google's business practices among rivals, public policy groups and governments, but there have been few concrete actions among US regulators.
