A Thursday report from Axios revealed that Google is facing billions in EU antitrust fines.
According to the report, Google is facing billions in EU antitrust fines over its alleged practice of using the Android mobile operating system to squeeze out rivals in the smartphone market. Android runs approximately 75 percent of all smartphones in Europe.
This is not the first time that the search master of the universe has found itself in violation of EU’s antitrust policies. In June 2017, the company was fined a whopping $2.8 billion for antitrust violations involving Google Search, which was allegedly unfairly favored Google’s shopping platform over other alternatives. In 2011, the search titan faced a $500 million fine over their failure to adequately disclose that certain information presented to users were part of an advertisement.
Google will also be asked by the EU court to refrain from forcing its services upon users. For example, licensing deals set up by Google restrict smartphone makers from promoting alternatives to its navigation and search services.
The company has made efforts to curb its anti-competitive behavior. Despite this, analysts suggest that Silicon Valley giants like Google are so powerful that they stand to absorb major fines on their journey to even more influence in the lives of their users.