The European Union said Wednesday that Google breached the bloc's competition laws by giving preferential treatment to its Android operating system on mobile applications.
EU Antitrust Commissioner Margrethe Vestager published a so-called Statement of Objections laying out the case. The tech giant has 12 weeks to issue a formal reply.
"A competitive mobile internet sector is increasingly important for consumers and businesses in Europe. Based on our investigation thus far, we believe that Google's behavior denies consumers a wider choice of mobile apps and services and stands in the way of innovation by other players,” Vestager said.
“Dominant companies have a responsibility not to abuse their position,” said Vestager. “Google has abused its dominant position.”
In a blog post on Google's website, Kent Walker, a senior vice president for the firm, responded by saying that "Android has emerged as an engine for mobile software and hardware innovation. It has empowered hundreds of manufacturers to build great phones, tablets and other devices. And it has let developers of all sizes easily reach huge audiences."
Walker added: "We take (the EU's) concerns seriously, but we also believe that our business model keeps manufacturers’ costs low and their flexibility high, while giving consumers unprecedented control of their mobile devices."
Google's Android operating system is free and comes bundled with other Google products such as Google search, Gmail and YouTube. In Android's five largest markets in Europe — Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain — it holds more than 70% market share, according to Kantar, a research firm.
The 28-nation EU has other investigations against Google, notably on its search services. It has also brought antitrust cases against Apple, Amazon and Microsoft.
No comments:
Post a Comment