Brussels accuses Google of abusing its dominant position – publico

 
         

                 

                         
                     

                         

                 

 
 

The European Commission has accused Google of abusing its dominant position by imposing restrictions on manufacturers of Android devices and mobile network operators. In a statement, the Commission says it has informed the technology, as a preliminary opinion, to have violated EU rules on antitrust (laws adopted to curb monopoly practices). The Brussels questions are presented in a Statement of Objections addressed to Google and Alphabet, the parent company.

Remember that Google has 12 weeks to reply, the Commissioner European Competition, Margrethe Vestager, said it would consider the company’s arguments “before making a final decision,” but stressed that the Brussels understanding is that the American giant “abused its dominant position.”

we designed a strategy “designed to preserve and strengthen its dominant position as regards the general search services on the Internet,” said Vestager, explaining that these practices mean that Google search is ” pre-installed and set as the default search service or exclusive on most Android devices sold in Europe. ” Without this, manufacturers are unable to install source to Play store the equipment, ie, no longer provide access to relevant apps in their models.

“This tie that is created between the Play Store and Google Search is that it seems truly problematic, “Vestager said at a press conference on Wednesday in Brussels.

in a statement, the European Commission describes the practices the company “seem to be preventing access to the market for search engines competitors through mobile browsers and competing operating systems.” “They seem to still harm consumers because stifle competition and inhibit innovation in the broader mobile universe,” he continues.

According Vestager, this strategy is all the more worrying because it is evident in the “market segment of the cheapest equipment, which are those that most Europeans buy”.

According to the data provided by Brussels, smart phones and tablets account for more than half of global Internet traffic. About 80% of smart mobile devices in Europe and the world work with mobile operating system Android, developed by Google, which grants licenses its operating system to third-party mobile device manufacturers. The company has a share of more than 90% in the European Economic Area.

The Competition European authorities also identified situations where Google gives “financial incentives” to manufacturers and network operators to install only their research services. Vestager shows that are concerned schemes of “revenue sharing” with companies.

Reacting to the indictment, Kent Walker, vice president and general counsel for Google, wrote a message on the company blog where it defends the technology strategy. “We take very seriously these concerns but we also believe that our business model keeps costs low manufacturers and provides them with a high degree of flexibility, while providing consumers with unprecedented control over their mobile devices,” he says.

Google maintains that the agreements it has with its partners have helped to promote a “remarkable” and “sustainable ecosystem” based on open innovation. “We look forward to working with the European Commission to show careful how we designed the Android model and in a way that is good for competition and for consumers,” says Kent Walker .

the Commission’s case against the US company started in April 2015. It is already the second:. there is another open by tax practices