Google appeals its $5 billion EU antitrust fine over Android

Google CEO Sundar
Pichai.
Getty

• Google has submitted an appeal to the EU refuting the
  €4.3 billion ($5 billion) fine it received for abusing the
  dominance of its Android operating system.
• Google is following through on its promise to appeal
  when the fine was imposed in July.
• It is already appealing a separate antitrust fine from
  the EU for promoting its own shopping platform within Google
  search.

Google has appealed the record
€4.3 billion ($5 billion) fine it was hit with by the EU in
July.

The European Commission fined Google on antitrust grounds for

abusing the dominance of its Android operating system. At the
time Google said rather than reducing consumer choice, Android
had increased it.

Google is following through on its promise to appeal when the
fine was imposed in July. It kicks off a process that could last
for years.

The EU’s fine
also came with the stipulation that Google had to cease the
trade practices the Commission identified as anti-competitive,
such as  requiring mobile device manufacturers to preinstall
Google’s browser and search apps for access to the Play store,
within 90 days or else face penalty payments of up to 5% of
Alphabet’s daily revenue. The deadline for this is October
28 and Google’s appeal will not grant it any extension on this
deadline.

“The Commission will defend its decision in Court,” a Commission
spokeswoman told Business Insider

Google is also currently
appealing a previous €2.4 billion ($2.7 billion) antitrust
fine, which was imposed after the EU found
Google was promoting its own shopping service in its search
engine.

Business Insider has contacted Google for comment. It told the
Financial Times: “We have now filed our appeal of the EC’s
Android decision at the General Court of the EU.”