EU Commission Forces Google to Change Its Business Model in Android Operating System
By Kemal Su
On July 18, 2018, the EU Commission released a Press Statement,[1] announcing that it had fined Google €4.34 billion (approximately $5.1 billion) for illegal practices concerning Google’s Android mobile operating system. This is a record fine imposed by the EU Commission, and probably a milestone in a series of antitrust fines against U.S.-based technology companies.[2] The Commission also ordered Google to alter its practices within 90 days to comply with EU antitrust law and announced that the company’s failure to do so would result in penalty payments of up to 5 percent of the average daily worldwide revenue of its parent company, Alphabet.
The Commission concluded, “Google has imposed illegal restrictions on Android device manufacturers and mobile network operators to cement its dominant position in general internet search, since 2011.” This is similar to a Section 2 violation of the Sherman Act.