EU antitrust office – Google defends itself in court – economy

Google defends itself in court against the record antitrust fine imposed in 2018 and refers to rival Apple. “The Commission has turned a blind eye to the real competitive dynamics in this industry – the one between Apple and Android,” said Google lawyer Matthew Pickford before the Court of the European Union in Luxembourg on Monday. The cartel watchdogs overestimated the importance of Google. Instead, Android is a prime example of functioning competition. The EU Commission had ordered the US group to pay 4.3 billion euros three years ago for illegal practices in the Android cell phone operating system, because the Alphabet subsidiary, for example, smartphone manufacturers and mobile network operators, had prohibited regulations for the use of Android since 2011 and asked to preinstall certain Google apps.