Google faces multi-billion fine from EU in Android antitrust case
Google could be slammed with a multi-billion fine by the European Commission as soon as next month, according to a new report by Financial Times. Should the internet search giant be found guilty of abusing its dominance in Europe through Android, it will be penalized with a hefty fine.
Margrethe Vestager, the E.U.’s antitrust chief, said that her commission is “poised to announce the negative finding within weeks.” The Commission is empowered to impose fines of up to $11bn, which amounts to 10 percent of the global turnover of Google’s parent company Alphabet, according to the FT report, though most penalties are usually issued in the lower end of the range.
The main allure of Android for manufacturers is that it is free, but the EU antitrust watchdog is looking into whether the Mountain View tech giant may have forced phone makers to favor its own services, like Chrome and Google search, as well as deterring other companies from developing competing operating systems using the open-source parts of Android.
This won't be Google's first big fine in Europe, however. Last year, the company was slammed with a record $2.7 billion fine, over the company’s price comparison service.
source: Financial Times via The New York Times
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