Google's search results in Europe will look very different after the company agreed to changes that should settle a long-running antitrust case.

 

The Commission said in a statement that Google had guaranteed that whenever it promotes its own specialized search services on its web page, the services of three rivals will be displayed in a comparable way.  cn domain     

The EU's top antitrust official, Joaquín Almunia, said he was happy with Google's latest proposal, and it should put the issue to rest.

"Turning this proposal into a legally binding obligation for Google would ensure that competitive conditions are both restored quickly and maintained over the next years," he said. 

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Google General Counsel Kent Walker said the changes to operations were significant, and the company looked forward to resolving the case.

Almunia has been investigating Google since 2010, unhappy that the search engine giant gave too much prominence to its own content and blocked out competitors.

A legally binding agreement is expected soon, though competitors still get to weigh in with their views

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A lobby group backed by Microsoft and other tech companies said the proposals may not go far enough, and said they should be thoroughly market tested before Google is le le," the Initiative for a Competitive Online Marketplace said in a statement.   cn domain     

"Without a third party review, Almunia risks having the wool pulled over his eyes by Goog