Google announced it will alter its search engines to no longer give Google Shopping results an edge over the competition. It has until the end of September to follow through on its statement.
Investigation not finalized yet
In June, Google received a record 2.42 billion euro, issued by the European Commission. It felt Google had abused its priviliged position to promote its own services and products ahead of the competition. Users were shown Google Shopping results first and only then the competitors came into view.
Google’s parent company, Alphabet, was given until the end of August to find a solution, which has to be active by 28 September. Just ahead of the deadline, Google told the European Commission it would alter its search engine, according to Business Insider.
This does not spell the end of the European Union’s case against Google, because it is still investigating possible illegal ad structures and its mobile operating system Android. The investigation was launched seven years ago and the company tried to settle three times, but never managed to do so. The result? A record fine in June.