Google fined a record $5 billion by the EU for Android antitrust violations

[LASER_oneXM]

Content source

https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/18/17580694/google-android-eu-fine-antitrust

Google required to stop ‘illegally tying’ Chrome and Search apps to Android

Google has been hit with a record-breaking €4.3 billion ($5 billion) fine by EU regulators for breaking antitrust laws. The European Commission says Google has abused its Android market dominance in three key areas. Google has been bundling its search engine and Chrome apps into the operating system. Google has also allegedly blocked phone makers from creating devices that run forked versions of Android, and “made payments to certain large manufacturers and mobile network operators” to exclusively bundle the Google Search app on handsets.

The European Commission now wants Google to bring its “illegal conduct to an end in an effective manner within 90 days of the decision.” That means Google will need to stop forcing manufacturers to pre-install Chrome and Google Search in order to offer the Google Play store on handsets. Google will also need to stop preventing phone makers from using forked versions of Android, as the commission says Google “did not provide any credible evidence that Android forks would be affected by technical failures or fail to support apps.” Google’s illegal payments for app bundling ceased in 2014 after the EU started to look into the issue.

 

[Predrag Radjenovic]

...allegedly blocked phone makers from...

Allegedly! Allegedly! That's ignorant!

EDIT: On a more serious note, what about Xiaomi devices, and other Asian Android flavors?

 

[AlanOstaszewski]

Well. The operating system is from Google so in my opinion Google can decide on the operating system itself. I mean, pre-installed chrome/search is no big deal now. And if someone doesn't like it, then you shall not use it IMO.

 

[Majiturf]

Its their OS. Its users choice to use it or not. We know Edge(IE "Cough") is there but we still use Chrome or Firefox anyway.

 

[upnorth]

:emoji_popcorn:

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