EU officials are expected say Google abused its search engine dominance to unfairly build its Google Shopping service.

The EU's antitrust watching is preparing to fine the firm a record amount which, according to the Wall Street Journal, could be as high as 10% of its annual revenue - which in 2016 was more than $90 billion.

Brussels will make the first of three antitrust decisions on the company's actions 'in the coming weeks', the first from a leading competition regulator on the way Google operates.

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The European Commission's decision will come after a seven-year investigation into the world's most popular internet search engine triggered by scores of complaints (stock image)

WHAT HAPPENED? The European Commission's decision will come after a seven-year investigation into the world's most popular internet search engine. It was triggered by scores of complaints from both US and European rivals. The EU competition authority accused Google in April 2015 of distorting internet search results to favour its shopping service, harming both rivals and consumers. The company has in the past rejected the charges, saying that regulators ignored competition from online retailers Amazon and eBay. Fines for companies found guilty of breaching EU antitrust rules can reach 10 per cent of their global turnover. Advertisement

The EU competition authority accused Google in April 2015 of distorting internet search results to favour its shopping service, harming both rivals and consumers.

Back then the fine was expected to be at £7 billion ($9 billion).

Although latest estimates are lower, it is still expected to break the abuse penalty record set in 2009 when EU officials hit computer chip producer Intel with a £870 million ($1.12 billion) fine for anti-competitive practices, two sources close to the case told the Financial Times.

Both Google and the European Commission declined to comment on the latest rumours around the high-profile case.

The European Commission's decision will come after a seven-year investigation into the world's most popular internet search engine triggered by scores of complaints from both US and European rivals.

The US company has in the past rejected the charges, saying that regulators ignored competition from online retailers Amazon and eBay.

Fines for companies found guilty of breaching EU antitrust rules can reach 10 per cent of their global turnover.

Apart from the fine, the Commission will tell Google to stop its alleged anti-competitive practices, but it is not clear what measures it will order the company to adopt to ensure that rivals get equal treatment in internet shopping results.

The regulator could set out general principles or specific instructions for Google to follow, said an observer.

Google made three unsuccessful attempts to settle the case with the previous European Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia (pictured) in a bid to stave off a possible fine

The Commission's tough line is in sharp contrast with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which settled its own web search case with the company in 2013 by requiring Google to stop 'scraping' reviews and other data from rival websites for its own products.

Google made three unsuccessful attempts to settle the case with the previous European Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia in a bid to stave off a possible fine and a finding of wrongdoing.

Almunia's successor Margrethe Vestager, however, has shown no willingness to settle with Google.

The company has also been charged with using its Android mobile operating system to squeeze out rivals and with blocking competitors in online search advertising related to its 'AdSense for Search' platform.

The platform allows Google to act as an intermediary for websites such as online retailers, telecoms operators or newspapers. The Commission has warned of massive fines in both cases.