Tech giant Google is undergoing another antitrust scrutiny and this time the target, quite strangely, is Android. The Federal Trade Commission is said to have opened a preliminary investigation of Google’s Android affairs. The investigation is said to be in response to registered complaints regarding Google’s misuse of the Android mobile operating system.
FTC authorities have met with technology company officials who asked for anonymity as the matter is quite confidential. As per company officials, Google gives priority to its own products like Google Maps and Google search while restricts others thus depriving them of fair and equal chances of securing the customers.
The officials also expressed their doubts stating that the investigation is in preliminary stage and might go nowhere. Still it will be an Add On in Google’s list of anti- competitive practices.
Both Google spokesperson and FTC denied comments. The inquiry is not confined to Android only instead FTC is monitoring whether Google is unfairly using its operating system to bolster its own popular apps.
Fairsearch.org, a famous technology trade group said in a statement:
“Google has used a range of anticompetitive tactics, carrying on a troubling pattern of conduct that has made it more difficult and expensive for fresh, innovative companies to reach the market.”
Android is contributing 51.6 percent US market share and is at the top of all other smartphone platforms. Apple takes a second place with 44.1 percent followed by Microsoft’s Windows Platform with 2.35 percent.
“The stakes are extremely high, because Google’s behavior impacts the entire mobile ecosystem, including map and location services, and app developers.” Fair search further added.
The FTC will need to take a decision on basis of whether 59 percent share of Android counts as dominancy.
According to Andre Barlow of Barlow and Mazard PLLC:
“Right now you’re clearly in the early stages and you don’t know if any of this is true.”
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