Google faces fines for hindering competition with its Android mobile phone system as European Union antitrust watchdogs get ready to add to last year's record 2.4 billion-euro ($2.8 billion) penalty against the U.S. tech giant, according to Bloomberg.
The EU is in the final stages of the Android probe and could issue a fine as soon as July, Bloomberg reports. The Alphabet Inc. unit also risks potential penalties in two other cases.
The Android investigation targets Google's strategy on mobile devices that sees Google Search pre-installed or set as the default on most Android phones and tablets sold in Europe. The practices may shut out rival search engines and harm consumers by stifling innovation, the EU said in 2016.
The EU probe into the way Google links its apps to the Android mobile-phone software questions how internet firms give away services in return for data that aids advertising sales.
Last year, Google was also fined by the European Commission for a case related to how Google treated shopping websites. Google was required to offer equal treatment to comparison shopping services in the product listing ads that appear on top of search results. But While Google set up an auctions system to allow smaller rivals to appear, few actually do and several of them have called on the EU to fine Google.
A third probe from the EC focuses on Adsense advertising contracts.
Google did not respond to a request for comment. |