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Google says to have a record EUR-4.34-billion punishment linked to its Android operating system. It’s annulled by Europe’s second-highest court on Monday. Google accusing EU laws of ignoring competitor Apple.
Android has been a tremendous success story of competition at Google. Rather than holding back rivals and injuring users, Google officials told a panel of five justices at the General Court at the opening of a five-day trial.
In 2018, the European Commission punished Google for using Android to prevent competitors and consolidate its dominance in general internet search since 2011. Whatever the court’s decision, Google, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook will have to modify their business models. However, it shall definitely in the coming years. Provide a fair playing field for competitors under severe new Eu competition regulations proposed by Margrethe Vestager.
Comparing Google And Apple Too Narrowly
The Commission wrongly determined Google to be dominant in mobile operating systems and app stores. When it was, in reality, a forceful market disrupter, by defining markets too narrowly and downplaying the severe restriction imposed by the extremely powerful Apple.
“The Commission turned a blind eye to the true competitive dynamic in this market, which is that between Apple and Android”
Google’s Lawyer, Meredith Pickford told the court
Because of Apple’s limited market share compared to Android, Commission counsel Nicholas Khan rejected the company’s participation. “Bringing Apple into the picture doesn’t change things very much. Google and Apple pursue different models,” he told the eu court.
Khan highlighted Google’s agreements requiring phone makers to pre-install Google Search, Chrome, and the Google Play app store on their Android handsets, as well as payments, to pre-install solely Google Search, as examples of anti-competitive behavior.
Android is used on roughly 80% of the world’s smartphones, and it is free for device makers to use. Because of Android’s market strength, this is the most crucial of the European Union’s three lawsuits against Google. Over the previous decade, Google has piled up more than 8 billion euros in EU antitrust fines.
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