Google asked some searching questions by rival
Google has become mired in fresh allegations of anti-competitive behaviour by specialist French search engine 1plusV, the parent company eJustice.fr.
The firm, which runs “vertical” search engines specialising in law, music and culture, claims that between 2006 and 2010 Google prevented the firm from using its online advertising service AdSense.
It further alleges that Google de-listed its published sites in the weeks following the complaint, only to subsequently re-list the site without modification.
In a statement 1plusV said that this de-listing had been “catastrophic” for its traffic.
Google claim that its search result rankings are dependant on how valuable a given site is for its users.
The European Commission is currently investigating Google for separate complaints made by eJustice.fr and price comparison site Foundem made last year.