Google must pay €4.1bn fine for using Android to 'block' rivals
Summary
Europe's top court confirmed a €4.1 billion fine against Google for using its Android system to block rival companies. The court dismissed Google's appeal against the fine, which stems from rules that forced manufacturers to pre-install Google apps and blocked alternative Android versions.Key Facts
- The European Commission first fined Google €4.3 billion in 2018 for anti-competitive practices using Android.
- The fine was later reduced to €4.1 billion in 2022 before the court upheld it in the recent ruling.
- Google required device makers to pre-install Google Search and Chrome to access its Play Store.
- Google paid big manufacturers and networks to exclusively pre-install Google Search.
- Google prevented makers from selling devices with modified Android versions by threatening to withhold app permissions.
- Android users can still download other browsers and search engines if they want.
- This is the largest fine ever imposed on Google by the European Commission.
- Google has faced several other big fines in Europe for favoring its services unfairly in shopping and ads.
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