Google joins anti-trust case against Microsoft

Search engine giant Google has said it will help the European Commission prove anti-trust charges against the world’s largest software maker Microsoft.

Early last month, the commission delivered a statement of objection to Microsoft regarding the bundling of Microsoft Internet Explorer software with its Windows operating systems, saying it “undermines product innovation, and ultimately reduces consumer choice”.

Google says it would like to become a third party, arguing it may be able to deliver a possible solution.

“Google believes that the browser market is still largely uncompetitive, which holds back innovation for users,” Google wrote on its blog. “This is because Internet Explorer is tied to Microsoft’s dominant computer operating system, giving it an unfair advantage over other browsers.

“Compare this to the mobile market, where Microsoft cannot tie Internet Explorer to a dominant operating system, and its browser therefore has a much lower usage.”

Firefox developer Mozilla has also recently been granted third-party access.

“Microsoft’s business practices have fundamentally diminished (in fact, came very close to eliminating) competition, choice, and innovation in how people access the internet,” said chair Mitchell Baker in a blog post.