• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

2

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

3

Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there

1

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

2

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

3

Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
TechGoogle

Here Are the Android Antitrust Charges the EU Just Threw At Google

By
David Meyer
David Meyer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
David Meyer
David Meyer
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 20, 2016, 6:22 AM ET
EU-POLITICS-JOBS
European Union Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager of Denmark attends her hearing at the European Parliament in Brussels, on October 2, 2014. AFP Photo/Thierry Charlier. (Photo credit should read THIERRY CHARLIER/AFP/Getty Images)Photograph by Thierry Charlier — AFP/Getty Images

Google(GOOG) is in big trouble in Europe, after the European Commission levied a second set of antitrust charges against it. This time, the charges are about Android.

There are three strands to the new charges: Google’s insistence on manufacturers preinstalling Google Search and Chrome on Android devices if they want to use the Play Store; its prohibition on them being able to use rival versions of Android at all, if they use Google’s version on any one device; and its payments to device manufacturers and mobile operators for setting Google as the default search engine on their Android mobile devices.

“Google pursues an overall strategy on mobile devices to protect and expand its dominant position in Internet search,” said Margrethe Vestager, the EU competition commissioner, at a press conference on Wednesday. “Dominant companies have a responsibility not to abuse their dominant position by restricting competition.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Google has a market share in Europe of over 90 percent — not only in search, but also in licensable mobile operating systems and in app stores for the Android operating system. Under antitrust law, Vestager said, this gives the company extra responsibilities.

“Based on our investigation, the Commission is concerned that Google’s behavior has harmed consumers by stifling competition and restricting innovation in the wider mobile space,” she said, arguing that rival search providers, browser firms and operating-system companies have not been “able to compete on their merits.”

Android is an open-source operating system, meaning companies other than Google can create “forked” versions that potentially create new, non-Google mobile ecosystems. However, adopting such a version would be a big risk for manufacturer who, by doing so, would have to stop selling regular Android devices at all.

“We have found evidence that, due to Google’s behavior, some manufacturers have decided not to use an alternative version of Android that has been developed by a credible competitor,” Vestager explained. “We have concerns that this hampers the development of viable versions of Android which could develop into credible platforms for competing apps and services.”

Google, of course, disagrees. It said in a blog post that its partnership agreements were voluntary, and it was trying to ensure compatibility between Android devices.

“Android has helped foster a remarkable – and, importantly, sustainable – ecosystem, based on open-source software and open innovation,” said Kent Walker, Google’s senior vice president and general counsel. “We look forward to working with the European Commission to demonstrate that Android is good for competition and good for consumers.”

The payments to manufacturers and operators for preinstalling Google Search take the form of revenue-sharing agreements, Vestager said, adding that the strength of the financial incentive was “preventing competition.”

“There is a striking feeling of ‘déjà vu’,” said Monique Goyens, the director general of the European Consumer Organization (BEUC).

“This case resembles the Microsoft(MSFT) competition saga a decade ago. Once again, a company is abusing its dominant position in the market by tying its products to its operating system. Google’s tying practices make it harder for consumers to access mobile apps of their choosing and strongly influence how consumers use their Android devices. This comes at a time when Google’s dominance in key segments of the digital economy and in the data ecosystem as a whole give it unparalleled power.”

For more on Android, watch:

The charges (which take the form of a so-called statement of objections) come a day after the Canadian authorities decided not to charge Google over its competitive practices. However, Russia has successfully charged and fined the company over its Android-related behavior, in a case with very strong parallels to the new EU charges.

Google also faces a separate set of antitrust charges in the EU over its promotion of its own comparison-shopping services in its search results — again, because of its dominance in the EU search market.

Those charges emerged almost exactly a year ago (when the Commission also announced its Android investigation). Vestager said on Wednesday that Google had given a “very detailed response” to the comparison-shopping charges and the Commission was currently “analysing the very large amount of data that we received.”

“We cannot sacrifice quality over speed,” she said.

Meanwhile, Vestager’s department is also looking into claims of Google abusing its position regarding the scraping of third-party content, the advertising market and other specialized search areas, “but these investigations are not done yet.”

Ultimately, apart from having to change its business practices, Google could pay fines of up to 10% of its global turnover for antitrust abuses in the EU, although that maximum is an unlikely outcome.

About the Author
By David Meyer
LinkedIn icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Bridgit Mendler speaks on stage at Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2026 in Aspen, Colorado.
Startups & VentureBrainstorm Tech
The space economy’s next frontier is in ground infrastructure, Northwood Space CEO says
By Sebastian HerreraJune 10, 2026
2 hours ago
Digital sovereignty isn’t the same thing as digital isolation. Asia’s governments should be careful
Commentarydata sovereignty
Digital sovereignty isn’t the same thing as digital isolation. Asia’s governments should be careful
By Leonard LimJune 10, 2026
7 hours ago
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates (C) arrives for a closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on June 10, 2026.
LawBill Gates
Gates testifies on Epstein: previous Fortune investigation reveals payments to his ex-girlfriend, $1M Microsoft deal
By Eva Roytburg, Joey Cappelletti, Hannah Schoenbaum and The Associated PressJune 10, 2026
8 hours ago
How the World Cup is a high-stakes stage for Big Tech’s AI push
NewslettersCIO Intelligence
How the World Cup is a high-stakes stage for Big Tech’s AI push
By John KellJune 10, 2026
9 hours ago
Anthropic accused of ‘secret sabotage’ as Claude Fable 5 silently limits capabilities for AI researchers and developers
AIAnthropic
Anthropic accused of ‘secret sabotage’ as Claude Fable 5 silently limits capabilities for AI researchers and developers
By Sharon GoldmanJune 10, 2026
10 hours ago
A 5-week course and a guaranteed job: Meta commits $115 million to solve the skilled-trades shortage stalling its AI build-out
Future of WorkMeta
A 5-week course and a guaranteed job: Meta commits $115 million to solve the skilled-trades shortage stalling its AI build-out
By Jacqueline MunisJune 10, 2026
11 hours ago

Most Popular

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
Asia
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
By Kate O'Keeffe and BloombergJune 8, 2026
2 days ago
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
Energy
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
By Sasha RogelbergJune 10, 2026
10 hours ago
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Success
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
By Preston ForeJune 8, 2026
3 days ago
A ‘MAGA Warrior’ Texas ag chief is publicly blasting the USDA over a flesh-eating pest threatening America's beef supply
North America
A ‘MAGA Warrior’ Texas ag chief is publicly blasting the USDA over a flesh-eating pest threatening America's beef supply
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 10, 2026
18 hours ago
Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45
Innovation
Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45
By Amanda GerutJune 9, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 10, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 10, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 10, 2026
15 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.