European Commission prepared to fine Google to the tune of 1 billion euros for anti-competitive practices

According to a report by the Financial Times, the European Commission (EC) is expected to fine Google for anti-competitive practices. The fine that will force the search giant to cough up more than 1 billion euros will be announced this week to sanction the group. The decision could also mean that Google may have to change its online search operating practices in Europe. The commission has accused the United States tech giant of manipulating its search engine so that people buy from  Google  Shopping only, thus blocking other shopping services and limiting the consumer’s choice. Earlier this month, the European Commission had aimed to slap a hefty price which was supposed to come up by August. The charges came after seven years of investigation when it received complaints from US and European retailers in 2015. The European Commission decided to take on Google on the grounds of anti-trust violation after 19 companies had complained about their practice. These companies included giants like Microsoft and even other smaller companies. After the allegations, Google’s General Vice President and General Counsel, Kent Walker, in a press release dated November 3, 2016, had said, “We never compromised the quality or relevance of the information shared. On the contrary, we improved it. That isn’t ‘favouring’- that’s listening to our customers.” This is not the first time that the European Commission has taken up such a case. Margarethe Vestager, the commissioner for the European Commission for competition, has previously taken over **Apple** and  Amazon on the grounds of tax avoidance and tax evasion, respectively.