"The European Commission has launched an investigation into Google after other search engines complained that the firm had abused its dominant position. The EC will examine whether the world's largest search engine penalised competing services in its results. " Read: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11876443 What do you think? Does Google manipulate search results for their own interests?
I don't think this will amount to much. Anyone can acuse anyone else of anything. As long as Google rules are applied to all and not deliberately aimed at competition, they have nothing to worry about.
This is the beginning , just remember how Microsoft was fined by the EU Commission for the same things. Big companies have their own interests because it's all about money , but G is pretty smart not to cooperate with the EU Commission, let's see what will be the result.
The difference is Microsoft doesn't care about what anyone else thinks while Google reshapes itself based on what others think of them. Google cooperates with authorities. Microsoft thumbs their noses at them and paid the price ($2 billion in Europe. Almost equal amount in the US.)
Why does it really matter? Google can do anything they want just like any webmaster can do anything they want. If I make a search engine and blacklist Yahoo nobody has a right to fine me. If I make a site and show links to example.com above eu.com nobody has a right to fine me. It's their site so they can do anything they want. They could blacklist everything about the EU and they have the right to do that because it's their website.
No they're not. They have a lot of people now questioning things they do but they've rarely been in any serious trouble.