Google is already facing EU charges over the promotion of its shopping service in Internet searches at the expense of rival services. The stakes are higher for Google in the Android case as it made about $11 billion last year from advertising sales on Android phones through its apps. Google has 12 monts to respond to the charges. Complainant FairSearch said Google was hindering the development of versions that might lead to new operating systems able to compete with Android, despite launching it as an open source project.. The Commission says it actually found evidence of manufacturers being prevented from selling competing Android forks that had “the potential of becoming a credible alternative to the Google Android operating system”. “(Antitrust) rules apply to all companies active in Europe” Commissioner Margreth Vestager, who heads up Europe’s competion policy, said.
