Competition Bureau ‘reviewing’ EU’s Google crackdown

The federal Competition Bureau says it is “carefully reviewing” the recent rebuke that Google LLC received for violating the European Union’s antitrust rules.

The European Commission announced on July 18 that it had fined Google approximately $6.7 billion over “illegal practices” connected to the company ’s Android mobile operating system.

According to the commission, the search giant had “imposed illegal restrictions” on Android device manufacturers, as well as on mobile network operators, since 2011. A release said this was done “to cement (Google’s) dominant position in general internet search.”

Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, has said it intends to appeal the European Commission’s latest decision.

A Competition Bureau spokesperson said the Canadian agency, while mindful of the differences between the legal regimes, “continues to monitor firms in the digital economy, including Google, to ensure they do not engage in anti-competitive conduct.”

“We follow the developments of investigations by our international counterparts, and we are carefully reviewing the recent actions taken by the European Commission,” Jayme Albert said in an email. “Should new evidence come to light of anti-competitive conduct that may affect the Canadian marketplace, by Google or any other market participant, the Bureau won’t hesitate to take appropriate action.”

The bureau issued a similar warning over two years ago, in April 2016, when Canada’s competition commissioner announced that a probe of Google — prompted by allegations of anti-competitive conduct — had been discontinued.

At the time, the commissioner said the bureau would keep an eye on the situation, including the results from other investigations.

Albert said it would be “inappropriate to comment further,” as the agency is legally required to work confidentially. “Generally speaking, whenever the Bureau becomes aware of alleged anti-competitive behaviour, it conducts a ... complete examination of the facts as they relate to Canada before reaching any conclusion as to whether or not the Competition Act has been contravened,” Albert said. Financial Post