Essential tech news

THE COMPANY HAS 90 DAYS TO IMPLEMENT CHANGES.

IF ANDROID PHONE manufacturers want access to the Play Store, Google requires them to preinstall Chrome and Search apps on the device, and European antitrust regulators are none too happy with that. The European Commission has accused Google of forcing phone makers to preinstall the browser and search tool, of paying larger manufacturers and mobile carriers to ensure Google Search is the exclusive search app and preventing phone makers from installing ‘forked’ Android versions not approved by Google.

The internet giant has been slapped with a record €4.3 (AU$6.7) billion fine for abusing the Android operating system’s dominance in the smartphone market, the largest fine imposed on a company in EU history. The ruling against Google stipulates that the company will need to unbundle its Chrome and Search apps from Android, which may significantly change the free business model the tech giant has been pursuing with the mobile OS.

Google has been given 90 days to cease all illegal practices or face additional fines of up to 5% of Google parent company Alphabet’s global turnover, but the company has stated it has plans to appeal the decision.