Skip to main content

Google is undergoing yet another antitrust investigation

made for google
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Google is in a bit of hot water in South Korea over yet another anti-competition investigation. In this case, the Fair Trade Commission, or the FTC, is investigating whether or note Google has hindered Samsung’s development of its own operating system.

In 2011, Google and Samsung both signed the Mobile Application Distribution Agreement, which basically states that all of Samsung’s Android smartphones have to use Google as the default search engine. Not only that, but Samsung’s devices also need to have Google apps — like Gmail, YouTube, and the Google Play Store — pre-installed. In addition, an anti-fragmentation agreement was reached, and under that agreement, Samsung can’t develop its own Android-based operating system.

This isn’t the first time Google has faced antitrust charges in South Korea. The company was also investigated when South Korea’s top search engines, Naver and Daum, claimed Google’s agreement with Samsung violated antitrust laws. Those charges were eventually cleared in 2013.

The bad news for Google is that on top of the newly opened investigation into whether or note the company obstructed Samsung from developing its own mobile operating system, the FTC has also said that it will be reopening the 2013 case, suggesting that since the case was closed, the market has changed.

It could be problematic if Google is found guilty, as the company could face a hefty fine. Of course, this is all par for the course for Google, which was fined $6.75 million in an antitrust case last year by Russian regulators.

It will be interesting to see how this case affects Google and its relationship with Samsung. The South Korean firm has long been trying to reduce its dependence on Google, and has been developing Tizen, its own operating system, for some time now. Is that operating system not on Samsung’s phones because of its agreement with Google? Only time will tell.

Editors' Recommendations

Christian de Looper
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
Don’t update your Google Pixel phone — you might break it
A person holding the Google Pixel 8, showing the screen.

One of the reasons to buy a Google Pixel phone is to be first in line to receive software updates — from new Android versions to important security patches. Unfortunately, one of the latest updates from Google is breaking some Pixel phones.

Over the weekend, a Reddit user on the r/GooglePixel subreddit compiled a list of threads from nearly a dozen Pixel owners reporting issues with their phones after downloading the most recent January 2024 Google Play system update.

Read more
The Galaxy S24 is stealing one of my favorite Google Pixel 8 features
Someone holding the Samsung Galaxy S24 with the display turned on.

We're barely two weeks into 2024, but it's already time to talk about three of the biggest smartphone releases of the entire year. Samsung has officially announced the Galaxy S24 family, including the typical trio of phones. This year, it's the Galaxy S24, S24 Plus, and S24 Ultra.

There's plenty to discuss with these phones — from the refined designs to Samsung's new Galaxy AI features. But there's another detail I want to shine the spotlight on, one that was barely mentioned during my pre-briefing with Samsung. We're talking about software updates.

Read more
Google is expanding Fast Pair, casting to more devices
Google Fast Pair.

One of the most underrated features of any platform is the ability to quickly (and easily) pair headphones and earbuds to whatever device you want. And to that end, Google announced a couple of improvements on that front at CES 2024.

First up is Fast Pair, which makes it simple to pair accessories like the Pixel Buds Pro to devices like an Android phone or Chromebook. Over the next month or so, Fast Pair support is expanding to Chromecast With Google TV. And it’ll expand even further later in the year to additional Google TV devices.

Read more