The European Union hit Google with a second large fine. The new US$5 billion penalty is almost double the US$2.8 billion punishment Google received last year. This time around it wasn’t for antitrust practices related to search as was the case in 2017. Android was at the center of this antitrust investigation, reported Bloomberg.
Not only does Google have to pay the fine, but it will also have to alter its Android distribution contracts with Android vendors and carriers to avoid future fines. Google, threatening that Android might not remain free after the ruling, said it will appeal the decision.
A new report reveals that Google secretly attempted to settle the case, but it was too late for any settlement talks, according to the EU.
According to Bloomberg, which talked to the EU’s Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, Google’s settlement proposals came in the weeks after the June 2017 fine in the Google Search case.
Google waited at least a year too long to open settlement talks. Vestager said the company would have had to “reach out immediately after” getting the EU’s initial complaint or statement of objections.
“That didn’t happen in this case, and then, of course, it takes the route that it has now taken,” Vestager said. “So no surprises.”
Full Content: Bloomberg
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
FTC Urged to Enforce Rarely Used Antitrust Law Against Retail Giants
Mar 28, 2024 by
CPI
UK’s Fingleton Bolsters Team with New Additions
Mar 28, 2024 by
CPI
Britain’s Competition Regulator Clears Aviva’s Acquisition of AIG Life UK
Mar 28, 2024 by
CPI
White House Implements New AI Safeguards to Protect Rights and Safety
Mar 28, 2024 by
CPI
Denver Court Sets August Date for Kroger-Albertsons Merger Showdown
Mar 28, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Real Estate & Antitrust
Mar 27, 2024 by
CPI
Systematic National Evidence of Steering by Real Estate Agents
Mar 27, 2024 by
CPI
Compliance Now! Actionable Antitrust Advice for the Residential Real Estate Industry
Mar 27, 2024 by
CPI
Real Estate Commissions: Some Insights from the Economics of Multi-Sided Platforms
Mar 27, 2024 by
CPI
New Ideas for Promoting Real Estate Brokerage Price Competition
Mar 27, 2024 by
CPI