Google could receive second multi-billion dollar EU fine next month

[midian182]

The big picture: It was almost exactly one year ago when Google was hit with a record $2.7 billion fine by the EU commission after its shopping comparison service was found to breach antitrust rules. Now, the company faces another record fine from European regulators in a second antitrust case, this one involving Android, and it could arrive as soon as next month.

In April 2016, the EU Commission charged Google with abusing its position as owner of the dominant Android operating system. It’s claimed Google demanded handset makers pre-install Chrome and other search products in return for access to Google apps and the app store. It’s also accused of barring manufacturers from using forked versions of Android and paying smartphone makers and mobile network operators to pre-install only Google search on their devices.

E.U.’s antitrust czar, Margrethe Vestager, is “poised to announce the negative finding within weeks,” and could hit Google with an even larger fine than the one handed down last year. The Financial Times reports that the commission could demand Google pay up to 10 percent of parent company Alphabet’s total turnover—around $11 billion—but these penalties are usually at the lower end of the scale.

Google has its hands full with the EU commission right now. It is still appealing the charges that it favored its shopping comparison service over those of its competitors and is contesting the fine. The EU has also accused the company of abusing its position to block rivals in online search advertising. “We are advancing on our two cases involving Google, both the Android case and the AdSense case,” Vestager told EU lawmakers back in April.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/74971-google-could-receive-second-multi-billion-dollar-eu.html

 

[senketsu]

Good, Google should also be under the same scrutiny Facebook is about private data. I'd prefer they both get raked over the coals for how they handle private data, but it seems not many care much anymore (for example all the Facebook bad press had essentially no effect on Facebook use, that is, if they are telling the truth).

 

[ghostf1re]

Good, Google should also be under the same scrutiny Facebook is about private data. I'd prefer they both get raked over the coals for how they handle private data, but it seems not many care much anymore (for example all the Facebook bad press had essentially no effect on Facebook use, that is, if they are telling the truth).

I believe they are telling the truth. Think about it. I'd bet the vast majority of people on most of our Facebooks were either oblivious to the whole thing or simply didn't care. People care too much about Facebook in their daily lives. It's just the world we live in.

 

[psycros]

We need a Linux that's as stable, fast and friendly as Windows to become the de facto standard OS for end users. It also has to remain open and independent so it favors no single entity. That's the only way we get away from the spying because the commercial hardware and OS makers will never stop selling us out no matter how enormous the fines. When their making hundreds of billions annually, a couple bil every few years is a minor annoyance. Its backdoor protection money for the political hacks and nothing more.

 

[McMurdeR]

They seem intent on finding ways to hit American corps with enormous fines. While I applaud Europe for implementing strong privacy legislation, the Vestigar anti competitive approach will only result in tit-for-tat action by the US against European interests. The steel tariff is not a first salvo by any means.

 

[Abraka]

I guess this is revenge for US charging Volkswagen for something that all car companies do. Not to mention Toyota which got punished for something they even didn't do. Their car was perfectly safe, and yet it got attacked in the US media as being responsible for murdering a family. Very shameful practice in the US. As a result, eventually EU and other regions will seek their revenge in one or another way.