Google faces a €4.3 billion fine from the EU

18 July 2018
This is the biggest fine imposed on a single firm in history, but Google can still appeal the ruling.

Sort by:

  • k
  • k-9
  • FMY
  • 18 Jul 2018

stivi737, 18 Jul 2018 I don't like monopolies, however the business model Google... moretotally agree with u-they are getting android for free google is not forcing them to adopt android this is outrageous even if I don't like the bloatware that comes with it google should start charging handset makers that way they can put what ever they like in the software.

    • T
    • The objective Guy
    • P1Q
    • 18 Jul 2018

    Anonymous, 18 Jul 2018The fine should be ten times bigger, considering all the ev... moreOk Mr knowledge about technology, please enlighten us about all those bad practices you mentioned.
    The worst recent practice so far (in my opinion) has been Apple's monopoly on thousand dollar phones. There is just not that much motivation for other OEMs to produce competitively priced products, when Apple sells ten times more expensive products at 5 times the price.

      • P
      • Primark
      • X{Y
      • 18 Jul 2018

      S E F I R O, 18 Jul 2018That is indeed a large fine. However, they do have a point ... moreWhy don't they try to make a better OS so that google will lose its monopoly? Screaming something is unfair just because it has commanding presence at the moment is childish. Nokia dominated the market years ago, then IOS and Android came, the rest is history...

        • P
        • Primark
        • X{Y
        • 18 Jul 2018

        Anonymous, 18 Jul 2018This is excellent development. Hopefully, the EU legislator... moreWow, just wow...

          • P
          • Primark
          • X{Y
          • 18 Jul 2018

          I am an android phone user and nobody is forcing me to do so, it is simply the better OS to use at the moment so how is that unfair practice?

            • .
            • .alpha
            • ytx
            • 18 Jul 2018

            Google is a monopoly plain and simple. Microsoft approached a number of Asian phone makers like HTC and ASUS to build Windows phones but when those phones are ready, Google threaten those phone makers with taking away their Play Store access if they released those Windows phone.

              • s
              • sr777
              • teq
              • 18 Jul 2018

              Then Apple should be fined too, they don't give the OS for free.

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • IW@
                • 18 Jul 2018

                The EU competition commission should also penalize sim locked phones (whether iphones or android phones), and mandate all phones to be dual sim to thwart network service provider monopoly and remove carrier bloatware and monopoly and enable users to switch service providers or have two at the same time for actual service performance comparison and ease of transfer from one carrier to another. Carrier locked single sim phones are clearly anti-competition. Unlocked dual sim iphones and dual sim android phones should be mandated to avoid carrier bloatware and monopoly.

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • MwH
                  • 18 Jul 2018

                  The fine should be ten times bigger, considering all the evil practices that google has developed and allowed to take place with their products/services.

                  For every good thing they came up with, they created ten other things that allowed them to take advantage of their users. Too bad that most people don't really understand technology and what google is doing, otherwise they would all flee to other services and google's products/services would only be used by those who don't understand them.

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • IW@
                    • 18 Jul 2018

                    Anonymous, 18 Jul 2018This is excellent development. Hopefully, the EU legislator... moreApple should likewise be fined for disabling the ability to set default apps to other apps not owned by Apple. Also, Apple should be fined for not providing micro sd card slots to iphones (anti competition to micro sd card manufacturers), and for intentionally slowing down phones. As with Android, Apple should provide battery replacement after sales up to 4 years.

                      • D
                      • AnonD-762416
                      • JbS
                      • 18 Jul 2018

                      Like others has mentioned, I also think the built in planned obsolescence has to be investigated. Phones often cost over 1,000 euros these days. And they want us to throw them away after 18 months. The current design of Android, in specific but to an extent also iOS, has nothing to do with technology limitations but everything to do with making it hard to keep the software up to date for the end user. I paid Microsoft less than 100 euros for a Windows 8 license for my old laptop well over five years ago and it still auto-updates every week. It even gets all the major updates treatments for free, like Windows 10 and its bi-annual upgrades.

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • IW@
                        • 18 Jul 2018

                        This is excellent development. Hopefully, the EU legislators will also fine mobile phone manufacturers who practice planned obsolescence. Those who ignore software updates of midrange and low end phones, those who intentionally make phones run slower after updates, those who don't provide after sales to replace sealed batteries of older model phones, those who intentionally remove microsd card slots to kill the microsd card competition while profiteering from overpriced higher internal st orage options. Better yet, for the EU to come up with legislation for mandatory software update support for all phone models up to at least 4 years, to mandate removable batteries or if not, battery replacement support up to 4 years, and to penalize all smartphones without sd card slot and those sim locked to a network.

                          This is juts totally outrageous!

                            • s
                            • stivi737
                            • mah
                            • 18 Jul 2018

                            I don't like monopolies, however the business model Google offers it is fair. You want Android? Take it for free. You want my services in which i put effort, time and money (Playstore)? Then comply to my rules.

                              • b
                              • bloop
                              • y5k
                              • 18 Jul 2018

                              Reminds me of the whole panic over Microsoft bundling IE in Windows during the 90's. Funny how everyone called those guys pure evil back then but people are now fine with companies like Google when they're doing much worse.

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • PGq
                                • 18 Jul 2018

                                Luxor, 18 Jul 2018Make Google enable all their Google apps to be uninstallabl... moreWhile keeping the Play Store available for people to choose which apps to download as to add on to your statement.

                                  • L
                                  • Luxor
                                  • ib1
                                  • 18 Jul 2018

                                  Make Google enable all their Google apps to be uninstallable. That would make people a lot happier. No more uninstallable default app please.

                                    • S
                                    • S E F I R O
                                    • jHn
                                    • 18 Jul 2018

                                    That is indeed a large fine. However, they do have a point on Google somehow dominating the android market with their pre-installed application services. But it is how they do business as well in implementing Android as they OS for Mobile services in 90% of the smartphone industry so they can win to this apparently.