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Google was hit with Europe’s biggest ever antitrust fine
EU trustbusters want a $5 billion penalty, to punish Google's illegal use of their Android mobile O.S. to stifle their competitors.
The EU alleges Google uses Android, the OS for 80% of the world’s smartphones, to unfairly favor its own search engine & mobile apps:
QUOTE:
"What’s next:
Margrethe Vestager, EU antitrust chief, said Google must cease its anti-competitive behavior within 90 days or face additional penalties.
Expect Google to challenge the EU’s ruling in court. The search behemoth has repeatedly claimed it faces stiff competition, from Apple in particular. It points to the fact that phone makers often install competing apps, as well as its own, as proof it isn’t suppressing competition.
Why this matters:
The power of giant tech-companies is a huge concern, as we recently highlighted. So far, Europe has led the way in challenging what it considers to be abuses of that power.
It remains to be seen whether US trustbusters will follow its lead."
____________________________________
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Hopefully, this will make Google reconsider the strong-arm tactics, & also encourage the U-S to rein in the galloping monopolies of Google & other massive tech-powers.
But don't hold yer breath.
. The U-S has a bizness-biased Admin, powerful & well-funded lobbyists, & underfunded, understaffed consumer protection agencies.
- terry
.
Google was hit with Europe’s biggest ever antitrust fine
EU trustbusters want a $5 billion penalty, to punish Google's illegal use of their Android mobile O.S. to stifle their competitors.
The EU alleges Google uses Android, the OS for 80% of the world’s smartphones, to unfairly favor its own search engine & mobile apps:
- Google forces phone-makers into contracts which require they pre-install their search service & web browser, B4 they can reach other Google products - such as the G-Play app store.
- Google bribes large manufacturers & mobile network operators, with payments to persuade them to pre-install Google’s search engine exclusively.
- Google threatens to block phone-makers’ access to their app-store & search-engine, if phone-manufacturers run other versions of Android -known as 'forks' - which are not approved by Google.
QUOTE:
"What’s next:
Margrethe Vestager, EU antitrust chief, said Google must cease its anti-competitive behavior within 90 days or face additional penalties.
Expect Google to challenge the EU’s ruling in court. The search behemoth has repeatedly claimed it faces stiff competition, from Apple in particular. It points to the fact that phone makers often install competing apps, as well as its own, as proof it isn’t suppressing competition.
Why this matters:
The power of giant tech-companies is a huge concern, as we recently highlighted. So far, Europe has led the way in challenging what it considers to be abuses of that power.
It remains to be seen whether US trustbusters will follow its lead."
____________________________________
.
Hopefully, this will make Google reconsider the strong-arm tactics, & also encourage the U-S to rein in the galloping monopolies of Google & other massive tech-powers.
But don't hold yer breath.
. The U-S has a bizness-biased Admin, powerful & well-funded lobbyists, & underfunded, understaffed consumer protection agencies.- terry
.
