Google May Have To Make Major Changes To Android in Response To a Forthcoming Fine in Europe (washingtonpost.com)

Google could face a new record penalty this month from European regulators for forcing its search and Web-browsing tools on the makers of Android-equipped smartphones and other devices, potentially resulting in major changes to the world's most widely deployed mobile operating system. From a report: The punishment from Margrethe Vestager, the European Union's competition chief, is expected to include a fine raging into the billions of dollars, according to people familiar with her thinking, marking the second time in as many years that the region's antitrust authorities have found that Google threatens corporate rivals and consumers. At the heart of the E.U.'s looming decision are Google's policies that pressure smartphone and tablet manufacturers that use Google's Android operating system to pre-install the tech giant's own apps. In the E.U.'s eyes, device makers such as HTC and Samsung face an anti-competitive choice: Set Google Search as the default search service and offer Google's Chrome browser, or lose access to Android's popular app store. Lacking that portal, owners of Android smartphones or tablets can't easily download games or other apps -- or services from Google's competitors offered by third-party developers.

Comments

Re:So how much

[tlhIngan]

But Apple is 10 times worse. There is no alternative app store at all for Apple. Android has some minor hoops but it's fairly simple to download apps from Amazon or several of the other third party android app stores. There is no way to replace siri with google or alexa. There is no way to change the default map program, the default email program, or the default anything. Android isn't without its flaws but it even lets you replace the desktop manager. It is infinitely more flexible and open than Apple.

Why go after Google first when Apple is by far the bigger offender?

Apple is not "far bigger". Kind of hard to be "biggest" offernder when 4 Androids are sold for every iPhone. And all those Androids have one common theme - all the manufacturers have to obey Google's rules to put Google's stuff on it.

And the reality of life is, if you don't have the Play Store, you don't have crap.

You have to remember this probably came out of a long-simmering debate when Nokia tried to release their phone with their maps instead of Google's...

And Apple may be a monopoly, but it's only one phone out of a sea of phones. Just like you don't complain when you buy a Ford Mustang and it has a Ford motor inside of it, or that Ford dealerships only provide Ford options even if you wanted that JVC headunit.

Re:So how much

[Artem S. Tashkinov]

Monopoly, though, is defined by market share.

Windows is still a monopoly in regard to x86 desktop hardware. Windows has so many limitations and obligations, Android pales in comparison. When was the last lawsuit against Microsoft? Or they are regularly paying billions of dollars in fines to EU each year? Enlighten me please.