Google Issues Detailed Response To EU Investigation

Google has issued a more detailed response to the EU regarding the ongoing anti-trust investigation. Google stands accused of deploying tactics to boost the ranking of its own Google Shopping price comparison services, whilst pushing rival services offered by competitors further down the search results by demoting the value of their links or simply refusing to list them altogether. The search engine has responded by saying it is not guilty of the charges because its search services are free. In a statement, the search giant said: “The [EU\'s] objections fails to take proper account of the fact that search is provided for free. A finding of abuse of dominance requires a 'trading relationship' as confirmed by consistent case law. No trading relationship exists between Google and its users.” If the charges against Google are successful, the search engine may be forced to pay fines of up to 10% of its revenue, which could total as much as 6.6 billion US dollars. 
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