The Antimonopoly Committee of the European Union has charged Google with violating antitrust laws. This was stated by the head of the committee, Margaret Vestager, during a press conference dedicated to the event.
The Committee believes that Google required smartphone manufacturers to pre-install its applications on Android devices, and also prevented the development of new, more advanced versions of this OS. In addition, the Internet company is suspected of copying content from competitors.
Google has responded to the allegations. In the official blog, its representatives stated that all agreements between the company and smartphone manufacturers were voluntary. They were aimed at developing the industry and aimed to “provide benefits to Android users, developers and ecosystems.”
If the allegations are confirmed, Google will be forced to “make significant changes to its work in Europe,” according to representatives of the EU committee. The company also faces a fine of up to €6 million.
An investigation is underway into the violation of the law.
Note that in February, Yandex appealed to the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service with similar accusations against Google.
A source: http://europa.eu
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