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Google, the Internet behemoth, could be on the receiving end of an inquisition by the European Commission, which is slated for sometime in the near future, following a complaint by opposing companies that it was unjustly manipulating its search results.

Google commands a share of about 90% of the profitable UK search market and this makes it susceptible to anti-trust and anti-competition complaints. A British comparison site and a French legal search engine have charged Google with been purposely camouflaging their listings in their own search results.

If Google is found guilty of the charges levied against it, it may have to pay a fine of almost 10% of its estimated yearly earnings, amounting to $2.4 billion. And the European Commission has the power to do sowhich has been amply proved in the recent case of an unwilling Microsoft being ordered to offers users to choose from a wide range of browsers on their PCs, instead of just their Internet Explorer. Just last year, the Commission had slapped a fine amounting to 1 billion to Intel on charges of anti-competitive conduct.

To begin with, the Commission would demand an answer from Google as to the reason why the complainants are not receiving adequate ranking in the search results; which will certainly lead to a search on the part of the Google engineers to analyze what is wrong with the algorithms that are responsible for controlling the listings on Google. Though it remains to be seen as to whether it is an instance of intentional manipulation or if the blame is to be placed on the accidental malfunctioning of the algorithm, such a move by the Commission will probably pave the way for many more complaints by people who feel the need to restrict Google’s domination of the Internet.

Currently, Google is categorically repudiating the allegations levied against it, of tampering with the search results, and an official enquiry into the matter is yet to begin.

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