Google offers to brand its own services to fix antitrust concerns

Google may be offering European regulators a new carrot stick to avoid an antitrust suit.

Under a new proposal, Google would label its own in-house services to separate them from those of third parties among its search results, according to the Financial Times. The offer is Google's latest attempt to placate European Union regulators who say the search giant is crowding out the rest of the market.

"People familiar" with the proposal told the Times that Google would tag its own maps, stock quotes, airline details, and other information to clearly identify them in its search results. The proposal itself was reportedly dangled to EU competition commissioner Joaquin Almunia weeks ago.

Almunia has been after Google to offer concessions or face an antitrust trial.

In May, the commissioner offered Google a deal to close the book on the antitrust case if the company addressed four areas of concern. One of those areas cited Google's method of displaying... [Read more]