The Android mascot Source: Shutterstock/Asif Islam

THE EU HAS slapped a record €4.34 billion antitrust fine on Google for illegally using its Android operating system to strengthen the dominance of its search engine.

“Google has used Android as a vehicle to cement the dominance of its search engine,” EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.

This is illegal under EU antitrust rules.

The Commission said that Google has been abusing its market dominance for the past seven years.

Its ruling today reads:

Google has prevented device manufacturers from using any alternative version of Android that was not approved by Google (Android forks).

In order to be able to pre-install on their devices Google’s proprietary apps, including the Play Store and Google Search, manufacturers had to commit not to develop or sell even a single device running on an Android fork.

The Commission found that this conduct was abusive as of 2011, which is the date Google became dominant in the market for app stores for the Android mobile operating system.

The EU has given Google 90 days to end the “illegal” practices or face further fines.

“Google must now bring the conduct effectively to an end within 90 days or face penalty payments of up to 5% of the average daily worldwide turnover of Alphabet, Google’s parent company,” the Commission said in a statement.

Google says that it will appeal the ruling.

“Android has created more choice for everyone, not less,” Google spokesman Al Verney said in a statement.

A vibrant ecosystem, rapid innovation and lower prices are classic hallmarks of robust consequences.

We will appeal the Commission’s decision.

© – AFP, 2018