French senators have amended a stodgy economics bill with a rider that would require Google to advertise three competitors on its homepage, but stops short of explicitly requiring the search engine to disclose its algorithms.

The amendment, added Thursday to an economic growth, activity and equality bill, calls for any search engine likely to have a structural effect on the online economy to provide users with a way to consult at least three competing search engines from its homepage, and to ensure that it does not favor its own services over those of competitors

The wording clearly targets Google, without naming it, and comes on the heels of the European Commission’s charge that Google favors its comparison shopping service over those of competing search engines.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here