My understanding is that some tech companies overcompensate, not because they're afraid of running afoul of EU regulation, but as a means of pushing back against EU regulation that threatens to undermine their profits. That's often the play when companies like Facebook warn that they'll have to stop offering news in EU countries if a particular regulation passes. I have no doubt that regulation has constricted Google results in some ways (Right to Be Forgotten, for example), but I wonder if part of the disparity isn't voluntary on Google's part, as a means of applying political pressure in a system that's less amenable to direct political lobbying than the US.