Google 'search results are fair', says FTC In a clear victory for the search giant, FTC Chairman Jon Leibovitz said Google was "one of America's great companies," and that accusations by web rivals such as Microsoft were a result of their "hand-to-hand combat" with Google, rather than a fair representation of its practices. "We followed the facts where they lead," Mr Leibovitz said. Google has however entered into a series of voluntary agreements that will cover both how it 'scrapes' content generated for other websites, such as reviews by sites including Yelp, and its anti-competitive use of patents that are deemed "essential" for all modern smartphone, software and tablet development. Mr Leibovitz found that there was evidence that Google may have tried to manipulate its search results. But he said that "Although some evidence suggested Google was trying to eliminate competition, Google's primary reason for changing its look and feel or [search] algorithm was to improve search results." He added that the practices of which Google was accused were also used by those accusing it of unfair behaviour. The FTC conceded that its verdict would be criticised. "Many of Google's competitors wanted the commission to go further and regulate the intricacies of Google's search engine algorithm," said Mr Leibovitz. The settlement will add pressure to Europe's competition commissioner, Joaquin Almunia. The Initiative for a Competitive Marketplace (Icomp) said it was "deeply disappointed," and called on Mr Almunia to demand more meaningful concessions from Google, which has 90 per cent of the global search market. In its own response to the FTC, Google said, "The conclusion is clear: Google's services are good for users and good for competition. We've always accepted that with success comes regulatory scrutiny. Mr Schmidt was however criticised by the US State Department for his plans for a private trip to North Korea. "We don't think the timing of this is particularly helpful," State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland said, citing North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket in December, which raised tensions in the region.