Google Fined KRW 207 Billion for Abusing Market Dominance

Google was fined KRW 207 billion (roughly Rs. 1,300 crores) by South Korea’s antitrust regulator, saying the US know-how big abused its dominant market place to limit competitors within the cellular working system market.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) investigated Google for allegedly stopping native smartphone makers from customising its Android OS.

The high-quality is the newest antitrust setback for Google in South Korea. Earlier this month, parliament handed a invoice to ban main app retailer operators equivalent to Google from forcing software program builders to make use of their fee techniques and successfully stopping builders from charging fee on in-app purchases.

KFTC mentioned the high-quality might be the ninth-biggest it has ever imposed.

It mentioned Google has hampered market competitors by requiring smartphone makers to abide by an “anti-fragmentation agreement (AFA)” after they signal key contracts with Google concerning app retailer licences.

Under the AFA, machine makers weren’t allowed to put in modified variations of Android, often called “Android forks”, on their units.

This observe has helped Google cement its market dominance within the cellular OS market, the KFTC mentioned.

Google was not instantly accessible for touch upon Tuesday.

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