The European Commission today formally accused Google of abusing its power when it comes to search and opened a separate probe into the company’s Android mobile operating system.
The European Union’s antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager formally accused Google saying it “abused its dominant position” in the Internet search market. It accused that the online giant abused its search-engine dominance to favor its own comparison shopping, travel and other local services over those of its rivals.
“Google now has the opportunity to convince the Commission to the contrary,” she said in a statement Wednesday. “However, if the investigation confirmed our concerns, Google would have to face the legal consequences and change the way it does business in Europe.”
said Vestager in a statement.
The Commission also formally opened a separate antitrust investigation into Google’s mobile operating system, Android. It will perform a in-depth investigation focusing on whether Google has breached EU antitrust rules by hindering the development and market access of rival mobile operating systems, applications and services to the detriment of consumers and developers of innovative services and products.
Google has 10 weeks to respond to the European Commission’s allegations, before it can seek a formal hearing. If Google fails to rebut the formal charges, the European Commission could levy a fine that could exceed €6 billion that is about 10 percent of Google’s most recent annual revenue.