Google has cracked the fine of Android giant EU

Pic: Getty Images Google will learn if it faces a record fine on its Android operating system in the coming hours.

The European Commission has stated that the US tech giant's mobile device strategy has unfairly reinforced its dominance of research. can charge the company up to 10% of its annual turnover, or $ 11.1 billion (8.5 billion pounds sterling).

It could also force Google to ungroup Android from its Chrome browser and other services.

Commissioner Margrethe Vestager previously ordered the company to pay a fine of 2.4 billion euros (2.8 billion pounds sterling) on ​​its shopping comparison service – a decision that Google is appealing.

In addition, his investigators probe the practices of his AdSense advertising business as part of a separate investigation. [19659007] The decision on Android was initially expected earlier this month, but Reuters reported that it had been postponed to avoid a confrontation with President Trump's visit to Europe.

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scrutinizing Android in April 2015, as a result of a complaint from Fairsearch – a commercial group that originally included Microsoft, Nokia and Oracle among his members.

At this point, Android held 64% of the European handset market, according to the Statcounter research firm. The commission subsequently made three specific allegations of anti-competitive behavior, claiming that Google

• required Android and tablet device manufacturers to set up their default search engine and preinstall Chrome browser before allowing them to. 39; access its Play Store
• preventing manufacturers from selling mobile devices running with concurrent operating systems based on the open source code of Android
• . as the only pre-installed option

In response, Google has refused to require device manufacturers to preload any of its applications.

He also claimed that the distribution of Google Search and Play Store had allowed him to offer his services for "The approach of the Commission … would mean less innovation, less choice, less competition and higher prices, "writes his world affairs chief.

007] He added that in any case, Apple and its competing iOS operating system were giving consumers an alternative.

For its part, Fairsearch wants the regulator to look to the future.

"Anticompetitive harm is likely to" As connectivity is added to virtually all innovative devices, the list of potentially affected devices, such as smart TVs and connected devices will only be available. increase. "

The European Commission's appeal should anticipate these consequences and resolve them completely."

The Pushback of Russia

Google has already made concessions in Russia, where the Local competition regulator was pursuing similar complaints. Android users now have the choice between Google, Yandex and Mail.ru as the default search engine when they use the Chrome browser for the first time.

Yandex has seen his share of mobile research increase from about 34% to 46% since the cha nge, according to Statcounter

But a legal expert said that the EU dispute could take a lot more time to solve.

"Google may dispute any decision made against him, and has shown in the past that he was ready to badert Suzanne Rab, a lawyer at Serle Court Chambers, told the BBC

:" She can do appeal to the courts of the EU, and as we have seen in the European Commission's case of abuse of dominant position against Intel, such a lawsuit can be measured in years and not month.

"And rivals who do not believe that the result goes far enough in terms of remedies could also make their own challenges."

– BBC