Google says tighter EU search regulations would ‘hurt’ innovation

Tightening the proposed regulations on Google to resolve competition concerns in Europe would risk stunting advances in online search just as a wave of innovation is set to transform the industry, the US company’s top search engineer has warned.

The warning from Amit Singhal, a Google senior vice-president, comes as the European Commission’s efforts to agree a set of voluntary concessions come to a head. Some Google critics have called for tougher sanctions than the proposed settlement the company reached with Brussels earlier this year. Final responses from Google’s rivals to the draft terms are due to be submitted by June 27.