Google made the following statement: "The integrity of our search results is a cornerstone of Google's business and mission. Google is not negotiating nor would ever enter into any agreement that would require us to compromise our users' experience or confidence in the results they obtain from search queries."
However, two sources close to the deal that requested anonymity revealed that Google would give AOL some help in boosting the prominence of AOL's search engine results. And critics claim that Google employees could rely on inside information to boost AOL in the results at the expense of other Web sites.
If such speculations were true, it would mark a departure for Google, which for years has upheld a high ethical standard. "Placement in search results is never sold to anyone," according to Google's Web site.
Carl Icahn, questioned whether Google is the best partner that AOL could find. He cited a report by an investment bank that said eBay Inc. and InterActiveCorp would provide greater financial benefits and fewer conflicts of interest between the companies.
Google's plans to buy a share of leading Internet service provider AOL for $1 billion ran into some serious opposition on Monday when billionaire investor Carl Icahn called the plan potentially disastrous.
