Anti-Trust Issues: Google and Toyota Probed

Amid all of the other issues Google has been facing lately (security intrusions, buzz complaints, censorship concerns, and the Italian criminal conviction), yet another has surfaced. European antitrust regulators are responding to complaints made by Google's European search rivals. They claim that Google's algorithms are downgrading their internet importance. Google fired back on its blog that it returns more relevant results than competitors, and, in effect, that is why they are mad and trying to cause Google trouble.

The commission in charge now must decide whether to open up a formal investigation. If they do, they will likely ask Google to reveal some of its top-secret search algorithms, leading to a potential standoff of epic proportions.

Simultaneously, US Federal authorities made raids on suppliers that have close ties to Toyota. They are likewise working to coordinate these efforts with the European antitrust commission to identify potential anti-competitive activities perpetrated by these suppliers. So far Denso International, Tokai Rika America, and Yazaki North America have been raided. Its been a wild day for anti-trust enforcers.