The European Commission has received complaints from three companies that Google's search engine is weighted unfairly against competitors, and that it maintains artificially high advertising prices.
As a result, the Commission has launched a preliminary inquiry and written to Google, asking how its search functions work.
The three companies that have made the allegations are Foundem - a price comparison site that has past form in Google-knocking - French law guide ejustice.fr and the Microsoft-owned shopping site, Ciao.
A spokesperson for Foundem complained that Google presents itself as a neutral service, but actually uses its search results to market its own services.
If found guilty in an anti-trust case, Google could forfeit up to 10% of its annual turnover - or $2.9 billion. Google, however, dismisses the complaint and states that is is 'confident that our business operates... in line with European competition law'.
Critics have pointed out that Foundem ranks badly in Google, simply because its website is poorly constructed and not built with SEO in mind. However, if the European Commission decides to help itself to a slice of the Google pie, its findings will be scrutinised very closely indeed - particularly by those who question its remit.
