India accuses Google of stifling competition

Indian authorities have accused internet giant Google of abusing its dominance in search advertising.

The three year inquiry centres on complaints filed by several websites which claimed Google had been unfairly highlighting its own services.

The accusations are similar to other allegations Google has faced in the US and Europe.

The San Francisco based company says it is confident it will be cleared of wrongdoing in India.

The firm has ten days to respond to the findings by the Indian Competition Commission.

Google is already facing allegations in Europe that it influences its shopping results to put rivals at a disadvantage.

European regulators are currently examining whether the internet company manipulated search results to steer traffic away from rival sites that could diminish its advertising sales.

Google has denied the allegations. If it loses the case in Europe, the firm could be faced with a multi-billion dollar fine.

Regulators in the US wrapped up a probe into Google's practices in 2013, concluding the company did not have to make any major changes to how it ranks websites.