Google Face UK Investigation over Competition Breaches

The UK’s antitrust watchdog carried out an investigation over Apple and Google’s “strong grip” on the mobile browser market after.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) stated, on Friday, that it will probe suspected breaches of competition law in Google’s rules over in-app payments in its mobile store in the UK.

It unveiled a detailed and further study into Apple and Google’s market power in mobile browsers and Apple’s in cloud gaming.

Moreover, the CMA set out various other possible interventions to tackle the apparent dominance of the two Big Tech giants in a flurry of statements.

“When it comes to how people use mobile phones, Apple and Google hold all the cards,” CMA Chief Executive Officer Andrea Coscelli said in a statement. “As good as many of their services and products are, their strong grip on mobile ecosystems allows them to shut out competitors, holding back the British tech sector and limiting choice.”

On a separate note, an Australian court has recently fined Google $515,000, on Monday, for refusing to remove a YouTuber’s “relentless, racist, vilificatory, abusive and defamatory” videos.

The Federal Court found the company intentionally made money by hosting two videos on its YouTube website attacking the then-deputy premier of New South Wales. The videos have been viewed nearly 800,000 times since being posted in 2020.

According to the judgment, Google had denied the videos carried defamatory imputations, adding that the YouTuber had the right to an honestly held opinion and should be protected by the right to criticise a politician