If Google fails to comply with the FAS order, it risks fines in Russian Federation of up to 15 percent of its 2014 annual revenue.
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In mid-September, Google was found guilty in a rapid Russian antitrust probe for the alleged anticompetitive practices related to how the company preinstalls its own apps on Android handsets.
“To restore competition on the market, Google should amend agreements with mobile-device producers within a month and exclude the anti-competitive clauses”.
Google’s had its fair share of run-ins with regulators regarding violation of fair competition in various regions including Europe, the United Kingdom, and in Russian Federation.
Remember that machine makers utilizing the open-supply model of Android, referred to as AOSP, are usually not required (nor can they) use Google’s apps and providers.
Yandex is also hoping that the ruling would “help restore competition on the market”. A statement from Yandex on the decision of the FAS states they have extensive proof of multiple violations Google has made, based on a collection of documentation provided by both Google and the different manufacturers that Google has worked with to sell Android smartphones in the country amounting to “thousands of pages of evidence”.
Yandex suggested that additional measures might be necessary unless the situation changes. The complaint with FAS was filed by biggest Russian search engine Yandex.
The Russian search giant argued that the US tech company already has a dominant position on the mobile market, so the policy is an abuse of power.
The Russian anti-monopoly regulator has given Google just over a month, until November 18th, to change the requirements it puts on hardware partners. The company is integrating data from several apps and it aiming at making Google Now as the quick access platform for users to get data which matters.
So while any device maker can load up a phone or tablet with Android, a few apps may not work on those devices if they don’t have Google Play Services installed.
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The European Union is also investigating whether Google displayed its own shopping price comparison service more prominently than its rivals. The case, launched by local competitor Yandex, is being watched keenly in other countries where Google capitalises on the popularity of its Android mobile operating system.
