Alphabet’s (GOOG) Google unit has been given until Nov. 7 to counter EU antitrust charges it unfairly demotes rival shopping services in search results, according to a report from Reuters.
The company was due to respond to the accusations on Thursday but requested more time to prepare its defense.
“Google asked for additional time to review the documents in the case file,” a European Commission spokesman said in the report. “In line with normal practice, the commission analyzed the reasons for the request and granted an extension allowing Google to fully exercise its rights of defense.”
Google faces an Oct. 26 deadline to reply to another charge of blocking competitors in online search advertising and Oct. 31 to a third charge that it uses its dominant Android operating system for smartphones to squeeze out rivals. The company could be fined up to $7.4 billion for each case if found guilty of breaching EU rules, the report said.
