Google fined more than US $ 5,000 million for practices to consolidate its dominant position



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The European Commission (EC) on Wednesday fined Google $ 5.043 million for illegal practices with its operating system for Android mobile phones, in order to strengthen the field of its search engine and d & # 39; Other applications of the company. "Google has imposed illegal restrictions on Android device manufacturers and mobile network operators to consolidate their dominant position in Internet searches," said the community leader.

In particular, Brussels alleges that Google has asked manufacturers to pre-install their search services (Google Search) and their browser (Chrome) as a condition for granting them the license to use their store. applications (Play Store)
This sanction is added to the fine of 2,815 million US dollars imposed by the Community Executive to the US giant in June 2017, also for abuse of dominant position by focusing on its search comparator in its search engine, until Wednesday, it was the highest penalty imposed by Brussels on a single company.

The European Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager, signs that Google imposes three types of restrictions "to ensure that Android device traffic goes to the search engine" of the company, which, according to Brussels "has denied its competitors the opportunity to innovate and compete for their merits" and, to consumers, "the benefits" of such competition.

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In particular, Brussels alleges that Google demanded that manufacturers pre-install their search services (Google Search) and browser (Chrome) as a condition to grant them the license to use its application store (Play Store).

In addition, he added, made some payments to major manufacturers and mobile network operators provided that by default they installed their search engine, while preventing them from selling smartphones that had alternative versions of them. Android not approved by Google.

The Commission's investigation, which started in April 2015 and a year later, on April 20, 2016, he led to formally accuse the company, concluded that these practices do part of a Google "strategy" to consolidate its dominant position and break the rules of European competition
The Commission's decision requires that the US giant "effectively put an end to its illegal behavior within 90 days" of the decision.

At a minimum, Google must stop and not reoffend in any of these three types of practices and refrain from any action having a purpose similar or equivalent to these, "declared the EC

. Android use licenses, which is used in 80% of smartphones in Europe and around the world.

He also noted that the survey concluded that the search engine dominates in the general service market. and Internet research in the European Economic Area and around the world (except China) for the licensing of operating systems for mobile phones and Android application stores, with over 90% market share in each of them. 19659006] The EC's decision is addressed to Google and Alphabet, its parent company.

Google will appeal

The US company announced on Wednesday that it was going to appeal the fine, he said in a statement.

Commission, "said Google spokesman Al Verney, for whom Android has not limited the offer of consumers." A vibrant ecosystem, rapid innovation and lower prices are the classic characteristics of a robust competition. "

Source: Based on EFE and AFP

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