Tech giant Google has reportedly announced to have filed a legal appeal against the European Commission’s USD 5 billion antitrust fine against its mobile operating system Android. As per trusted sources, the company has decided to challenge the ruling at the General Court of the European Union.
Reportedly, the appeal is the first step in a legal battle that would keep lawyers of Google busy for years ahead. Sources privy to the matter claim that the decision given by the General Court in Luxembourg could be appealed to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
After a two-year investigation that majorly centered around the smartphone operating system of Google, Margrethe Vestager, Europe’s competition commissioner, had reportedly announced the record-breaking antitrust fine for Android in July this year. Vestager had reportedly stated that the tech giant abused its regional dominance by mandating manufacturers to pre-install its operating system and other Google apps as a stipulation for being able to license the Play Store.
Vestager further noted that the company utilized Google Play licensing to restrain manufacturers from selling smartphones based on Android and made payments to mobile network providers in exchange for pre-installing Google Search on the devices. This arrangement could have offered a platform for competing app developers and search engines to flourish, Vestager added.
Reportedly, Google had stated that it would appeal against the ruling as it rejected the findings of the Commission. Chief Executive Officer of Google Sundar Pichai had mentioned in a blog post at the time that the Android ecosystem has been successful in creating more choices for the customers and not less. Pichai argued that the ruling ignores the clear evidence regarding the way people utilize smartphones and the new breadth of choice they have today.
A spokesperson for the European Commission reportedly stated that the Commission will defend its ruling in the court.