INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Google's Android has a 74 per cent share of the European smartphone market.Google will be hit with a record European Union (EU) fine for
using its Android smartphone system to fortify its search empire
The fine -- likely to be handed down on Tuesday or Wednesday -- is expected to eclipse the 2.1 billion pound monopoly abuse penalty Google
paid last year over its internet shopping business, and escalates the war between Silicon Valley and Brussels, The Telegraph reported on
Saturday.The European Commission's competition chief Margrethe Vestager has been investigating Google for three years over complaints the
company illegally forces smartphone manufacturers to install its apps.It gives its Android software to phone manufacturers for free, but
binds them to "exclusivity agreements" that force them to install Google's web browser and search engine if they use the Google Play app
store, the report said.Opponents claim that this constitutes abuse of Android's 74 per cent share of the European smartphone market and
them compete against Apple.The commission has the power to fine Google up to 10 per cent of its parent company Alphabet's annual turnover,
or 9.5 billion euro (8.4 billion pound).Although it is not expected to use the full extent of its powers, the fine is likely to be higher
than the 2.4 billion euros Google was ordered to pay in June last year over claims it stuffed search results with its own shopping adverts,
squeezing out price comparison services.As well as the fine, Google is set to be ordered to break its agreements with phone manufacturers
This could mean more Android phones being sold without Google software installed, potentially boosting rival search engines and web browsers
such as Microsoft's Bing or Firefox.
