EU Commissioner Margrethe Vestager says Google has committed a very serious illegal act
Google has been fined $5 billion, recently over violating European market rules by European Commission. The regulator argued that Google has manipulated the fair competition and use the undue advantage to build its hegemony over other internet services provides.
In an exclusive interview with BBC, Margrethe Vestager, EU commissioner said that “Google has been committing a very serious offense an illegal behavior which is going on since 2011.”
Google has covered a big market with their illegal act, and we have charged Google with the big fine that comes from the EU commission guides lines, she added.
While answering a question what Google has done specifically and how it affects users Margrethe Vestager said, “Google forced manufacturers to take Google search and make it default if they want access to Play Store, if you are a phone manufacturer its imperative for you to get Play Store, if not where the users would get Android apps from, So Google misused this advantage and said, “Well, fine if you want to take Play Store then you must take search as well as Chrome browser,”.
The second restriction Google imposed is to take the search exclusively and Google will pay the manufacturers for doing that, and the third on top of all, Google intimidated manufacturers to keep away from any search or browser services, if someone comes with services like Fire OS by Amazon, that is it, all of your devices will be blocked to access Google Play Store, this actually locks down the android market in Google controlled echo system, she added.
In reply to the question, Google has argued that they provided innovative services and kept the prices low, why would it matter for the consumer? She said, “Someone could have come with the better service and operating system, maybe we have had competition in search, so we have been missing at on a lot of choices.
In reply to the question by BBC reporter, most of the American companies are saying its an unfair description of competition, and most people would like to use Google in their devices, and you use Google as well, what would you say for that?
She said, “Success is great, and Google is more than welcome to do business in Europe, and the reason why Google has been so successful is because of successful innovation and the great products we like to use because they work perfectly, but if you are successful you have no excuse to do something illegal, yes, you are big, yes you are successful, congratulations! But it stops when you do something illegal, she commented.
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