Google may have to make changes to its Android platform to settle the European Commission’s (EC) antitrust investigation into Google’s search practices.
EC vice president Joaquin Almunia recently told Google chairman Eric Schmidt to address certain points made in an initial offer first submitted about two weeks ago on 2 July, according to the Financial Times.
This month, Google has offered an improved package of concessions to address EC’s four main competition concerns in order to settle an antitrust investigation and avert a possible hefty fine.
But the Commission’s acceptance of the proposal hinges on the changes being extended to Android, the Financial Times (FT) reported citing people briefed on the matter.
Almunia earlier said if Google fails to satisfy the commission, the ongoing proceedings will continue and a formal antitrust complaint would be sent to the search giant.
The EC is expected to finalise in coming weeks whether to enter settlement talks and resolve antitrust issues or formally charge the company for alleged anti-competitive behavior, the report said.
Google reiterated that it continued to "work cooperatively with the European Commission."
In May, the Commission noted that it will initiate the discussions to finalise a remedies package and gave Google weeks time to address antitrust concerns.
The case stems after Europe’s top competition authority launched an antitrust investigation in November 2010 following a number of complaints from Google’s competitors that the search engine giant had abused a dominant market position in the online search market.
