Technology

The European Union Is A Foe... To Google, It Seems

EU hits Google with a $5 billion antitrust fine.

By  
on

I’m old enough to remember when Internet Explorer was a thing. The concept of Europe blasting a company for pre-installing their preferred software on their machines is nothing new.

If Google and Android had my preternatural ability to remember thing that happened five seconds ago, maybe things would be different. As it stands, Google could have to pay a $5 billion antitrust fine.

From the BBC:

The European Commission said the firm had used the mobile operating system to illegally “cement its dominant position” in search…

Ms Vestager alleges that there are three ways that Google has acted illegally:

* it required Android handset and tablet manufacturers to pre-install the Google Search app and its own web browser Chrome as a condition for allowing them to offer access to its Play app store
* it made payments to large manufacturers and mobile network operators that agreed to exclusively pre-install the Google Search app on their devices
* it prevented manufacturers from selling any smart devices powered by alternative “forked” versions of Android by threatening to refuse them permission to pre-install its apps

Ms Vestager acknowledged that Google’s version of Android does not prevent device owners downloading alternative web browsers or using other search engines.

I mean… I get it. Monopolies are bad, mmmkaay? But Christ alive, I get pissed when I have to waste time downloading Google on my new iPhone. If I bought an Android, I’d freaking expect it to be pre-installed with THE search engine.

Who are these Europeans who are like, “Wahhhhh, the phone comes with Google but I have to install… BING! myself.” Is that really a thing? Is that really $5 billion worth of a thing?

Google should have known better. Google plans to appeal, but $5 billion seems like a harsh penalty for giving the vast majority of consumers what they want.

Sponsored

However, it could easily afford the fine if required – its cash reserves totalled nearly $103bn at the end of March.

Oh… umm… never mind. The fine is actually perfectly tailored to the harm caused to free markets.

Google hit with €4.3bn Android fine from EU [BBC]

Elie Mystal is the Executive Editor of Above the Law and the Legal Editor for More Perfect. He can be reached @ElieNYC on Twitter, or at elie@abovethelaw.com. He will resist.

Sponsored

CRM Banner

Topics

, , ,