[AditiArora]

Google on Thursday rejected claims from the European Union's top antitrust official that the company favored some of its own search results over those of rivals, saying there was significant competition in the region's online search market and that the company's services increased choice for local consumers. The company's response, which was submitted to the European Commission on Thursday afternoon, is the latest chapter in a long investigation into the Silicon Valley technology giant, which would face fines worth billions of dollars if it is found to have broken the European Union's antitrust rules.