I am seriously beginning to think the EU is leveling all these anti-trust violations and fines as method to bankroll their organization. It was bad enough when they went after Microsoft for “forcing people” to use Internet Explorer when they first load Windows on their machines. People are too stupid to take 2-minutes to download and install their favorite browser. Now, they are going after Goggle Android based on complaints from FairSearch:
” FairSearch argues that Google is using “deceptive conduct” to lockout the competition in the mobile search market. With 70 percent of the smartphone OS market, Google commands 96 percent of the mobile search advertising market. Except, according to FairSearch, the search giant isn’t playing fair. FairSearch’s complaint says that though Google gives Android to device makers for free, phone makers that want apps like Maps, or YouTube are forced to ‘pre-load an entire suite of Google mobile services and to give them prominent default placement on the phone.’ FairSearch says this puts other providers at a disadvantage and puts Android in control of consumer data on the majority of today’s smartphones.”
So, if the EU gets their way we could start seeing Android Phones and Tablets sold in the EU, not have any pre-loaded apps. Which would give Microsoft Windows Phones/Tablets an unfair advantage as I am sure consumers want to be able to use their devices right out of the box, without having to search and install a bunch of apps first. So, I suppose Google then could complain and cry ‘anti-trust’ then. May be this Microsoft’s way of getting back at Google for snitching on complaining to the EU about them last year about the browser ballot screen being missing form Windows 7 SP1 in the EU in 2011 and 2012.
FairSearch is made up of Microsoft, Nokia, Oracle, TripAdvisor, Kayak and Hotwire. Nokia and Oracle I am not really aware of any search products they offer. TripAdvisor, Kayak and Hotwire are all Hotel searches and booking services (which I don’t know of Google having a hotel search or booking service/app).
