Eric Schmidt agrees to testify in US Senate investigation into Google

Eric Schmidt has agreed to testify in front of a US Senate subcommittee investigation into whether Google distorts the market and engages in anti-competitive behaviour.

The executive chairman of Google, who handed over the chief executive role to co-founder Larry Page in January, will testify in front of the committee after repeated requests from senators Herb Kohl and Michael Lee that Page or Schmidt testify.

"A top Google executive will finally face serious questioning about the company's behaviour," said John M. Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog's Privacy Project.

"Schmidt was CEO for the past decade, so it's appropriate he be called. Now that Larry Page has taken over that position, he should also be held accountable and be required to testify as well.

"Given Google's inconsistencies between actions and statements in the past, we trust Schmidt's testimony will be given under oath."

The investigation follows similar probes by the Federal Trade Commission, the state of Texas, the European Commission and competition authorities in France and Italy.