A group of technology companies including Microsoft, Nokia and Oracle has complained to the European Commission about Google’s mobile internet strategy. The 17 companies are calling themselves FairSearch and describe Google’s distribution of the Android platform as “predatory”.
Thomas Vinje, counsel to the FairSearch coalition, said “Google is using its Android mobile operating system as a ‘Trojan Horse’ to deceive partners, monopolize the mobile marketplace, and control consumer data. We are asking the Commission to move quickly and decisively to protect competition and innovation in this critical market. Failure to act will only embolden Google to repeat its desktop abuses of dominance as consumers increasingly turn to a mobile platform dominated by Google’s Android operating system. European consumers deserve a rigorous investigation of Google’s mobile practices, and real protections against further abuses by Google. Given Google’s track record of ignoring the law, mobile Internet users should be very concerned.”