Huge Fine Pending for Google - Abuse of power with Android
EU antitrust regulators are weighing another record fine against Google, this round over its Android mobile operating system. A ruling can have great consequences.
Google forces smartphone manufacturers and providers to user Google services including Google Maps and Play Store. Assuming the panel agrees with the initial case team's conclusions, it could pave the way for the European Commission to issue a decision against Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google by the end of the year reports Reuters:
The Commission in April last year charged Google with using its dominant Android mobile operating system to shut out rivals following a complaint by lobby group FairSearch, U.S.-based ad-blocking and privacy firm Disconnect Inc, Portuguese apps store Aptoide and Russia's Yandex (YNDX.O).
The move by the EU competition authority, which hit the company with a 2.4 billion euro ($2.7 billion) penalty for unfairly favoring its shopping service last month, could pose a bigger risk for the world's most popular internet search engine because of Android's huge growth potential.
The potential fine is expected to top that 2.4 billion euro penalty. The EU's charge sheet issued to Google in April last year said the anti-competitive practices started from January 2011 and the Commission is likely to tell the company to stop them. They are still ongoing, telecoms industry sources said.
The EU ruling has the scope to do the most damage compared with a third case against Google's AdSense, Richard Windsor, an independent financial analyst who tracks competition among the biggest U.S. and Asian internet and mobile companies, said in a recent note.
"If Google was forced to unbundle Google Play from its other Digital Life services, handset makers and operators would be free to set whatever they like by default potentially triggering a decline in the usage of Google's services," he said, referring to Google's apps store
Senior Member
Posts: 3374
Joined: 2007-05-31
How does forcing Playstore and Google maps compare to Apple's approach?
And btw, google itself is not forcing anyone. Because you can root your google phone without consequences to warranty.
Therefore you can remove any undesirable app.
Yes and no, on Apple store once you get the app you don't need the store to use it and it can run even every security demand is refused.
On Google play once you refuse all security demand and without google play 99% of the app doesn't work.(why does a basic tetris game need your position, access to your microphone, camera, photo and music, a link to facebook and tweeter, and google play to work?)
Of course this is with vanillia user and out of the box...
Once rooted it's better. But despite what you said a rooted device (exept some Lenovo and motorola) is not on warranty anymore, and using unverified app also cut the warranty (despite there is a way to run those app in setting).
But of course an Android device is way better rooted (rooted all mine)...
Senior Member
Posts: 1753
Joined: 2013-06-04
How does forcing Playstore and Google maps compare to Apple's approach?
And btw, google itself is not forcing anyone. Because you can root your google phone without consequences to warranty.
Therefore you can remove any undesirable app.
All those other manufacturers are practically forcing those apps as rooting those will void warranty.
But even then, you can go and install alternative app markets. And let's face it, mentioned "Aptoide" contains modified/hacked APKs. And even viruses in some cases.
Wrong: if you root, it leaves a trace that voids your warranty. You can't remove apps at will without google letting you.
Senior Member
Posts: 13735
Joined: 2004-05-16
Yeah but the warranty void on root is the OEM and not google. Could they force ecosystem partners to uphold the warranty? Maybe - but I don't feel like that should be google's responsibility.
Senior Member
Posts: 4389
Joined: 2008-07-15
I've sent two rooted devices in to be repaired and both were repaired without any issues.
They should only refuse warranty if the rooting bricks the device, which is the users fault.
Senior Member
Posts: 11809
Joined: 2012-07-20
How does forcing Playstore and Google maps compare to Apple's approach?
And btw, google itself is not forcing anyone. Because you can root your google phone without consequences to warranty.
Therefore you can remove any undesirable app.
All those other manufacturers are practically forcing those apps as rooting those will void warranty.
But even then, you can go and install alternative app markets. And let's face it, mentioned "Aptoide" contains modified/hacked APKs. And even viruses in some cases.