In the US the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Google have reached an agreement that will "ensure consumers reap the benefits of competition..."
In particular the agreement will ensure that:
- Competitors will have access to standard essential patents
- Advertisers will get more flexibility to use rival search engines
Google has agreed to remove restrictions on the use of AdWords (its online search advertising platform) that may make it more difficult for advertisers to coordinate online advertising campaigns across multiple platforms.
Google will also ensure that websites can opt out of display on Google vertical properties.
At the press conference the FTC acknowledged the cooperation of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Competition.
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