Google's Alphabet faces EU enquiry

Alphabet, Google's parent company, may face multiple competition charges as European Union regulators crack down on antitrust allegations against the company. Anti-trust commissioner Margrethe Vestager said that charges were in light of the company's contracts with Android OS advertisers.

Google has been under a series of investigations. Each probe was at a different level requiring multiple considerations, according to Vestager.

"We have different work-streams. We have the shopping case where we have the statement of objections, we have Google’s answer and now we’re analysing that. It is high priority but it will take some time because it is analysis and data comparison et cetera, which is challenging. It will take some time but this is a case which is defined by the steps of the case," the commissioner told The Wall Street Journal in an interview.

Vestager discussed further that they their ongoing investigations are quite different from one another. However, the case in point is how parties involved perform or behave in the marketplace. Android is different from Google. The EU is concerned about how operating systems and mobile phones are related including their role in the market.

She clarified that the cases are not just against Google. The cases are extremely different but Google's link to them makes the company stand out. Nonetheless, Brussel officials remain on high alert for any web-scraping allegations against Android. It will continue to be a priority for the investigating body.

Vestager hinted during the interview that they can reach a compromise with Russian energy company OAO Gazprom. The company has been charged with hindering competition in Eastern European gas markets. The EU body said that it is doubtful whether the region's telecommunications operators have to merge.

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