DoJ finds IE7 search anti-anticompetitive

A couple weeks back, we reported that Google had tattled on Microsoft, who had opted to default the forthcoming Internet Explorer 7’s search box to MSN Search. Though the search engine can easily be changed to any number of other search engines provided by Microsoft (including the big G), Google felt that Microsoft was up to its old monopolistic tricks and asked the government to step in.

The Department of Justice and 17 states took a look as part of the ongoing monitoring of Microsoft’s compliance with antitrust laws and deemed the browser perfectly acceptable, as it gives the user the ability to choose their own search engine. Replied Google:

“Changing the search engine may be simple by Microsoft’s standards,” Google said in a statement. “But if it were truly simple, users would be able to change the default with one click.”

“Microsoft could have easily designed it that way,” the Google statement added. “Instead, they’ve built it so users have to go through multiple steps to choose a search engine.”

As I said in our earlier report, this strikes me as a faux pas by Google that makes them come across as the kid snitching on who took the last cookie from the cookie jar. You’ve always been precocious, Google, but now it’s time to grow up.

[via Ars Technica ]