Google vs The World?
In September 2022, the European Union’s general court decided to uphold its ruling against Google and its parent company Alphabet in an antitrust case–the fine was a whopping 4.125 billion euros. According to the EU, Google uses the Android Operating system to quash competition.
It was also confirmed that Google imposed unlawful restrictions on manufacturers of Android mobile devices and mobile network operators to consolidate the dominant position of its engine. They further stated that Google gave an unfair advantage to its apps such as Chrome by forcing smartphone makers to pre-install them in a bundle with its app store.
Google seems to have landed itself another hefty fine but this time in India. They were fined $113 million for not allowing app developers to use third-party payment processing services for in-app purchases or for purchasing apps. Google’s Android mobile operating system is by miles the most dominant in India.
Independent developers upload their software on Android through the company’s app store “Google play” but the catch is that they are mandated to use Google’s billing system to collect their revenue. The Competition Commission of India labelled it an unfair condition for app developers and has since mandated Google to permit app developers to use any third-party billing systems of their choosing.
Google has also been ordered to introduce a series of changes to its Play Store policies which will allow developers to use third-party billing systems. Compliance is required within three months. Google’s response to the order is that its legal team will evaluate it. However, they were also concerned about the evidence relied upon to reach the conclusion that ruled against them.
#GeekWorld is a segment for nerdy discussions and regular tech updates. In this edition, we are looking at the hefty fine slapped on google for the second time in weeks.
