The European Commission on Wednesday to maintain the accusation that Google violated antitrust rules of the EU by seeking and extend the dominance of its Android operating system."A competitive sector mobile Internet is becoming increasingly important for consumers and businesses in Europe," said the EC antitrust chief, Margrethe Vestager."Based on our investigation to date," she continued, "we believe that Google's behavior denies the consumer a wider choice of mobile applications and services in the way of innovation by other players, contrary to antitrust rules the EU."
Competition
In its statement of objections, the Commission alleged Google infringed EU antitrust rules in the following ways:
Which oblige manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and Google's Chrome browser and their Google Search as the default search service on their devices as a condition for certain Google apps proprietary license
;Prevent manufacturers from sales of smart mobile devices running competing operating systems based on Android open source code; andGiving financial incentives to install manufacturers and mobile operators provided that they previously only Google Search on their devices.
Google's business practices may lead to further consolidation of the company's dominant position in general Internet search services, the Commission noted.
These practices can rival the capabilities of other mobile browsers affect Google Chrome. They hinder the development of operating systems based on Android open source code and the possibilities they offer for the development of new applications and services, the committee said.
Internet Explorer ReduxCommission action is in response to complaints it received from Google's competitors in Europe. In 2013, Fair Search Europe, a group that includes Oracle and Nokia, filed a complaint with the EC on Android. In 2014, Aptoide also filed a complaint.Consumer Watchdog is another group to support an investigation into Android dominance of Google.
"This is the same kind of thing that Microsoft did when it bundled its browser with the operating system," said John M. Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog's Privacy Project."While Google makes Android freely available, it has strings that use this implies that unfairly favor Google applications when you go to the Android software," he told the E-Commerce Times.
"Consumers can go and other apps and install them," Simpson added, "but it gives Google an advantage on Android devices."comedyGoogle is not stifled the Android Marketplace, according to Daniel Castro, a senior analyst at the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation.
"This is a comedy, because it does not seem like there was any consumer harm of the allegations and there is strong competition in the mobile OS environment," he told the E-Commerce Times."It's hard to see how Google can lock out any competitors because the switching costs of installing a new app are so minimal - 30 seconds to download and install a rival app," said Castro.
One reason why Android enjoys immense popularity is its openness, he explained, which makes it possible to experiment, while also providing standardized features across platforms for users."It would be unfortunate if the EU punishes Google for action there is a need to create a better consumer experience, because it believes that these actions are anti-competitive," said Castro.
"This would have a chance," he continued, "that technology companies would design products to meet the mysterious competition rules rather than consumer needs."US-ProbeAs the Europeans their first probe announced last year, Google's Android monopoly, there are whispers of a similar research by the US Federal Trade Commission.In September, for example, Bloomberg reported that the FTC an agreement with the US Department of Justice to investigate whether Google was stifling access to Android reached its competitors.
That would not be the first time the FTC probed his Google. It looked into Google's search dominance in 2011 and 2012. That trial ended in 2013 with Google change some of its business practices.However, last year, The Wall Street Journal reported that the committee ignored the advice of key staff members to sue Google because they believed the damage was doing for the consumers and innovation.
"The FTC totally blew her research on the search monopoly," said Consumer Watch Simpson. "They not their job to do there."In 2014, Google spent US $ 16.8 million on lobbying in Washington, he added. "You do not spend money like drunken sailors on lobbying, unless you see results
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