Google goes further on concessions in a bid to end European Commission probe
EU antitrust regulators have received further commitments from the technology giant after a three-year investigation highlighted concerns that it was working to block competitors.
Anticipation of such a move began back in May:
Joaquin Almunia, the European Commission’s competition commissioner, said he was “almost 100 per cent” certain that the search engine will have to offer more changes to its service than the ones proposed earlier this year.
FairSearch, a lobby group whose members include Microsoft and other complainants, describes Google's Android as a 'Trojan Horse'. The group says:
Google achieved its dominance in the smartphone operating system market by giving Android to device-makers for ‘free.’ But in reality, Android phone makers who want to include must-have Google apps such as Maps, YouTube or Play are required to pre-load an entire suite of Google mobile services and to give them prominent default placement on the phone, the complaint says. This disadvantages other providers, and puts Google’s Android in control of consumer data on a majority of smartphones shipped today.
Google will have to await the assessment of the Commission which could lead to a formal complaint, statement of objects or the imposition of orders that could change the way the firm operates.