Google has accepted a AU$55 million fine for entering into anticompetitive agreements with Telstra and Optus that prohibited the installation of other search engines on certain smartphones. These agreements lasted 15 months until March 2021 and required pre-installation of only Google Search. In exchange, Telstra and Optus received a portion of Google's ad revenue from those customers. Google has committed to amendments in contracts with Android phone manufacturers and telcos to eliminate competition-reducing practices, acknowledging the adverse effects on market competition and consumer choice.
Google has agreed to pay a 55 million Australian dollar ($36 million) fine for signing anticompetitive agreements with Telstra and Optus that restricted search engine competition.
The agreements, in place for 15 months until March 2021, solely permitted Google Search to be pre-installed on smartphones sold by these telcos.
Google acknowledged that these agreements likely substantially lessened competition, leading to a commitment to remove such restrictions from contracts with manufacturers.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission emphasized that such conduct limits consumer choice and could result in higher costs or inferior service.
Collection
[
|
...
]