Brussels - EU regulators are investigating whether Google
dominates in internet search but have yet to decide if this is the case, the
EU's antitrust chief said on Friday.
"As part of our current investigation, we are trying to
determine whether the company holds a dominant position in internet
search," EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia told a competition
conference in Florence.
"Google is the browser of choice for very many of us;
but dominance is not the same as abuse of dominance. Abuse is a conduct that
protects or extends dominance by illegitimate means, and we still have to conclude
whether this is the case for Google," he said.
The European Commission opened an investigation into Google
in November last year after rivals, including Microsoft, accused the company of
abusing its dominant position in the market for web search services.