Google charged a fine of €4.3 billion for Android antitrust issues.

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The tech company, Google, has once more been hit with the EU regulations by charging them a whooping €4.3 billion for breaking the antitrust laws, the European Commission further clarified that Google had abused the market domination in three major ways. Google has been binding its search engine and Chrome browser on every android operating device, the company has also been accused of blocking phone makers from creating devices that operate on other versions of Android and also they were accused of making payments to other huge companies to include the Google search engine to their devices.

Due to the charges, Google has now been ordered by the EU commission to bring these actions to an end within a time span of 90 days of the decision in that Google will now be forced to stop manipulating manufacturers to preinstall the Google search engine and Chrome in order to offer Google play store in handset devices, and also stop preventing manufacturers from making phones that run on forked Android versions they have not yet provided evidence that these versions will cause technical issues on devices.

The European Commission has been investigating Google and their activities over a year now shortly after they received complains that they were taking advantage of the dominance that they already had in the market, back in the year 2014 other technology and gadgets companies like Nokia, Microsoft and Oracle complained of this “monopolistic practices” that Google has been practicing.  

This fine has overcome the previous $2.7 billion fine made against Google for bringing up manipulative Google search results.

Even though Android has been considered an open source software Google has been slowly adding up key components to its Google play components and besides the anti-fragmentation agreement that Google made with other companies’ now have been witnessed that most Android devices are bonded with Google search services and Chrome.

GOOGLE APPEALS THE EU DECISION.

Google has however made an announcement that they will counter appeal the decision and I quote

Android has created more choice for everyone, not less. A vibrant ecosystem, rapid innovation, and lower prices are the classic hallmark of robust competition

Said the Google spokesman to a US technology media, The Verge, and has also warned that due to this decision Android may not be free in the near future.

If the EU decision will be successfully passed, Google will be forced to stop intimidating other phone companies from bundling its services to their phone but rather on their own will.