Google makes offer in EU case

Google has offered to display rival comparison shopping sites via an auction, as it aims to stave off further EU competition fines, four people familiar with the matter said.

Google is under pressure to come up with a big initiative to level the playing field in comparison shopping, but its proposal was roundly criticised by competitors as inadequate, the sources said.

EU enforcers see the case as a benchmark for investigations into other areas dominated by the US search giant such as travel and online mapping.