Google rivals said to be quizzed as EU weighs antitrust case

The EU seeks fresh information from companies that compete with Google on shopping, maps, travel and other search services

Google Inc's rivals are being questioned by European Union regulators as part of a four-year antitrust probe into the US company after a planned settlement stalled this year, according to people familiar with the investigation.

The EU is seeking fresh information from companies that compete with Google on shopping, maps, travel and other search services, said the people, who asked not to be named because the questionnaires aren't public. Responses are due by early January as the EU's new antitrust chief, Margrethe Vestager, plans meetings with companies and trade groups that complained about Google.

Google is under mounting pressure in Europe over competition and privacy issues. EU lawmakers passed a motion that called for regulators to consider splitting the company if it can't wrap up the antitrust probe. In the same week, privacy watchdogs criticised the company's compliance with a court ruling that gave people the right to remove links to some internet content about them.