Google faces further EU competition probes

Google is facing further antitrust investigations by the European Union's competition regulator, according to reports of a follow-up probe after charges were made last year.

The European Commission has reopened its probe into the US internet behemoth, examining data from several companies in the online advertising sector that may relate to the way Google maintains its dominant position, according to sources cited by Bloomberg on Monday.

Last April, EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager charged the Californian company with abusing its dominant position in the markets for general internet search services in Europe, breaking European Union competition rules by favouring its own products and services on its online search results.

That was the first ever formal antitrust charge that had been brought against Google.

Having probed the company since November 2010, the antitrust regulator said Google was "systematically favouring its own comparison shopping product in its general search results pages", which infringes EU antitrust rules because it "stifles competition and harms consumers".

Google responded with a blog that said it "respectfully but strongly" disagreed and later argued that there is “no basis” for the claims.