Google’s huge fine in South Korea
South Korean antitrust regulator has imposed a fine of $ 176.64 million (207 million vans) on Google. The American company is accused of using its superior position to limit competition in the mobile operating system market.
The fine follows a South Korean Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) investigation into Google’s efforts to block Android personalization by local mobile makers.
The South Korean Fair Trade Commission said it was the ninth largest fine it had ever imposed. The regulator claims that when mobile manufacturers sign key contracts for a Google App Store license, the US company is forcing manufacturers to abide by an anti-fragmentation agreement (AFA). In fact, by doing so, Google is destroying competition in the market.
Under the anti-fragmentation agreement, device manufacturers are not allowed to install modified versions of Android on their devices. According to the KFTC, this trend has helped Google consolidate its dominance in the mobile operating system market.
The fine is the latest anti-monopoly action against Google in South Korea. Earlier this month, parliament passed a bill that barred department store operators such as Google and Apple from forcing software developers to use payroll systems. On the other hand, this law does not allow these operators to receive in-app purchase commissions from developers.
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