EU asks whether Google alters search results, Le Figaro says

European Union regulators asked Google Inc. rivals and customers whether the company's search engine alters search results, Le Figaro reported, citing a questionnaire regulators distributed as part of a probe.

The European Commission also asked companies whether Google signaled that increased advertising spending might improve a search ranking and asked them to comment on increases in advertising rates over the last six years, Le Figaro said in a report yesterday.

(Published by Bloomberg - January 5, 2011)