Google has denied the allegation that its Android operating system is preventing other alternative software and services from flourishing.
In 2015, the European Commission has said that they would investigate the reports that claim they are misusing their power: "abused its dominant position" and "hindered the development" of rivals.
The European Commission is investigating whether Google:
In April this year, the EC filed charges that could impose a fine up to $7.4bn (£5.9bn), or 10% of its global revenue. According to them, the Android operating system prevents the users from choosing other, non-Google default search engines and browsers.
Kent Walker, senior vice president and general counsel for Google, wrote in his blog post: “Android hasn’t hurt competition, it’s expanded it. Android is the most flexible mobile platform out there, balancing the needs of thousands of manufacturers and operators, millions of app developers and more than a billion consumers. Upsetting this balance would raise prices, hamper innovation, reduce choice and limit competition.”
In its blog, Google has objected to several of the commission’s allegations.
Walker said: “The commission’s case is based on the idea that Android doesn’t compete with Apple’s iOS. We don’t see it that way. We don’t think Apple does either. Or phone makers. Or developers. Or users.
“To ignore competition with Apple is to miss the defining feature of today’s competitive smartphone landscape.”
The company has accepted that they offer incentives to phone-makers to exclusively pre-install Google apps, Play store, Chrome.
"We do offer manufacturers a suite of apps so that when you buy a new phone, you can access a familiar set of basic services," the company said in a blog.
In 2015, the European Commission has said that they would investigate the reports that claim they are misusing their power: "abused its dominant position" and "hindered the development" of rivals.
The European Commission is investigating whether Google:
- gave incentives to manufacturers to exclusively pre-install Google apps and services on devices
- barred manufacturers from using modified or "forked" Android code if they wanted access to Google services on some of their devices
- bundled apps and services with other Google products
In April this year, the EC filed charges that could impose a fine up to $7.4bn (£5.9bn), or 10% of its global revenue. According to them, the Android operating system prevents the users from choosing other, non-Google default search engines and browsers.
Kent Walker, senior vice president and general counsel for Google, wrote in his blog post: “Android hasn’t hurt competition, it’s expanded it. Android is the most flexible mobile platform out there, balancing the needs of thousands of manufacturers and operators, millions of app developers and more than a billion consumers. Upsetting this balance would raise prices, hamper innovation, reduce choice and limit competition.”
In its blog, Google has objected to several of the commission’s allegations.
Walker said: “The commission’s case is based on the idea that Android doesn’t compete with Apple’s iOS. We don’t see it that way. We don’t think Apple does either. Or phone makers. Or developers. Or users.
“To ignore competition with Apple is to miss the defining feature of today’s competitive smartphone landscape.”
The company has accepted that they offer incentives to phone-makers to exclusively pre-install Google apps, Play store, Chrome.
"We do offer manufacturers a suite of apps so that when you buy a new phone, you can access a familiar set of basic services," the company said in a blog.