EU planning to go after Google again, this time over Google Assistant
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
TL; DR
- Google may be the subject of another EU antitrust investigation.
- The EU Commission is examining whether Google is forcing OEMs to install Google Assistant as the standard language assistant.
- The antitrust authorities will publish a final report in the first half of 2022 and can then initiate an official investigation.
Google is no stranger to antitrust investigations in Europe and the US and has been fined heavily by the EU Competition Commission in recent years, including a groundbreaking $ 5 billion fine for controversial Android practices. According to a report by MLex (above Reuters) Google is once again in the crosshairs of the EU. This time it has to do with the Google Assistant.
The Commission is asking equipment manufacturers to provide evidence of these anti-competitive practices. Regulators are also investigating whether users can use two voice assistants at the same time. It is also questionable whether Google is abusing its certification process for new devices in order to guarantee exclusivity.
The EU antitrust authorities will present a final report on their sector inquiry in the first half of 2022. If necessary, she can then initiate an official investigation. If found guilty, Google is likely to face another heavy fine.
In an email statement to ReutersA Google spokesperson said that “Manufacturers can choose which voice assistants to install on their devices, and users can also choose which assistants to use and install.”
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