Google’s South Korean offices inspected in Android antitrust probe

Google is facing research with the aid of the South Korean antitrust regulator into Android and the organization’s alleged abuse of marketplace dominance, in step with nearby reviews. Yonhap News business enterprise mentioned that officials from the Korean Truthful Trade Fee (KFTC) inspected Google’s Seo: ul places of work for the remaining week. This is part of a probe into whether the enterprise unfairly forces cellphone makers to apply its Android operating device.

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The inspection comes two weeks after the ecu Fee filed a 3rd antitrust fee opposing Google concerning its advertising and marketing commercial enterprise. It reinforced a present price in opposition to its shopping provider. The EC has also filed fees against Android, giving the enterprise a six-week extension to reply. The KFTC has investigated Google before. 5 years ago, it filed fees over court cases through Seoul-based total search engine operators that Google changed into forcing handset makers to preload Google’s sSeekapp on their Android-powered smartphones.

In 2013, it cleared Google of wrongdoing after a two-12 months investigation, concluding that its percentage of the local search engine market became too small to threaten Fair opposition. Unlike in Europe, Google most eeffectivelyhas 10% of the search market in South Korea, which is ruled by local players Naver and Daum. Its Android platform has a much bigger presence inside the smartphone quarter, used extensively by the sector’s largest telephone producer, Samsung, and neighborhood rival LG. Android is used on more than 1.4b billiondevices globally, making it the marketplace leader utilizing a massive margin. Google did not reply to a request for comment.