Google attempts to pre-empt EU regulators by highlighting rivals in search results

Google is trying to get ahead of EU antitrust regulators by offering links to search directory rivals in its search results for some products.

Companies such as Yelp have complained that Google scrapes their directories for information and then presents those results to end-users, resulting in dramatically reduced traffic to their services.  Google also gives its own directory much more prominence in results, extending its search engine dominance to a business directory dominance.

The change sees a new module above search results which includes links to rivals such as Yelp. The change is currently present on Google.co.uk, but not when searching from the address bar, which defaults to Google.com.

It is unclear if the change, which Google tested in Germany before expanding to the EU, will fully address the EU’s concerns, as Google’s own directory is still clearly much more prominent.

Google had previously offered the same solution in 2013, when then European Commission antitrust chief Joaquin Almunia said Google’s latest round of proposals in October doesn’t “eliminate our concerns regarding competition.”

Last year the European Union imposed a hefty €1.5 billion antitrust fine on Google after finding it guilty of abusing its dominant position in Android to eliminate its Google’s Play Store competitors.

Via SearchEgineLand, Engadget.