Twin antitrust probes into Google’s Play Store

 

Twin antitrust probes into Google’s Play Store

Google has confirmed that the European Commission is investigating its Play Store in an abuse of dominance inquiry.

This confirmation was made in a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. It comes on the heels of the launch by the UK Competition and Markets Authority of a similar probe in June.  The European Commission has not yet confirmed its investigation at this stage, although it is usual for it to announce the opening of a formal investigation.

It appears that the Commission’s investigations relates to Google’s requirement that app developers use its own payment system or they will be removed from the App Store.  A similar theory of harm runs through the statement of objections that the Commission sent to Apple in 2021 concerning the music streaming market.

The CMA’s latest probe into Google’s Play Store is accompanied by its final report in its mobile ecosystem market study.  This found that Apple and Google have a ‘stranglehold’ over certain markets due to their effective duopoly in mobile ecosystems.

Google has also confirmed that it is bringing an appeal to the European Court of Justice against the General Court’s finding that upheld the major part of the Commission’s Google Android decision.

Google also confirmed in its regulatory filing that it is appealing to the European Court of Justice against the General Court’s ruling last month that largely upheld the commission’s Google Android decision.

https://app.quotemedia.com/data/downloadFiling?webmasterId=90423&ref=117011882&type=HTML&symbol=GOOGL&companyName=Alphabet+Inc.&formType=10-Q&formDescription=General+form+for+quarterly+reports+under+Section+13+or+15%28d%29&dateFiled=2022-10-26&CK=1652044