Robert Triggs/Android Authority
TL; PhD
- Google may be subject to another EU antitrust investigation.
- The European Commission is reviewing whether Google will force OEMs to install Google Assistant as the default voice assistant.
- The antitrust regulator will release a final report in the first half of 2022, after which a formal investigation may be launched.
Google is no stranger to antitrust investigations in Europe and the United States. In the past few years, the EU Competition Commission has imposed huge fines on it, including a landmark fine of $5 billion for controversial Android practices.According to a report Lex (pass through Reuters), Google has once again become the focus of the European Union. This time, it is related to Google Assistant.
The committee requires equipment manufacturers to provide evidence about these anti-competitive practices. Regulators are also studying whether users can use two voice assistants at the same time. Another question is whether Google abuses the certification process of its new devices to ensure exclusivity.
The EU antitrust regulator will provide the final report of its industry investigation in the first half of 2022. If necessary, it may launch a formal investigation later. If found guilty, Google may face another huge fine.
In the email statement ReutersA Google spokesperson said, “Manufacturers can choose which voice assistants to install on their devices, and users can also choose which assistants to use and install.”