Home › News ›

Antitrust Lawsuit Targets Google Search on Android

May 2, 2014, 7:30 AM by Eric M. Zeman

Google has been socked with a nationwide antitrust lawsuit filed by consumer advocate lawyers. The law firm, Hagens Berman, alleges that Google illegally manipulated the market for mobile search through its Mobile Application Distribution Agreement. Google gives the Android operating system away for free, but in order to take advantage of Google Services handset makers have to sign the MADA. Google preloads its own apps, including Search, YouTube, Gmail, Play Store, and others, on Android devices made by companies that have signed the MADA. The lawyers suggest Google used the MADA to force its services onto Android devices and into the hands of consumers, rather than allow them to choose - and artificially raised handset prices in the process. "Anyone can use Android without Google and anyone can use Google without Android," said Google in a statement provided to Reuters. "Since Android's introduction, greater competition in smartphones has given consumers more choices at lower prices." Nokia, now owned by Microsoft, has done exactly this with the Nokia X family of handsets, which run Android but don't include Google Services. Nokia chose to substitute Microsoft's services for Google's. It's unclear what resolution Hagens Berman expects to achieve with the lawsuit.

Related

Google Lens Now Lets You Refine a Visual Search with Text

Apr 7, 2022
Google has updated its Lens camera-based search tool with an experimental feature that lets you type in extra search terms to refine your visual search. Google calls this new image+text type of search "multisearch".

Consumer Cellular Launches Flip Phone with eSIM

Oct 16, 2023
Consumer Cellular has launched the first feature phone in the US with an eSIM. The Iris Flip is a white-label, flip-style phone that also has the largest display in its class at 3.2 inches.

AT&T Launching Location-Based Routing of 911 Calls Nationwide

May 10, 2022
AT&T is the first US carrier to launch location-based routing of 911 emergency calls to the appropriate call centers on a nationwide basis. Previously, 911 calls were routed to call centers based on the cell tower location, and then a more precise phone location transmitted to that call center.

Victims of Domestic Abuse Gain New Rights re Cell Service

Dec 9, 2022
President Biden has signed into law the Safe Connections Act of 2022, which provides several new rights relating to cell phone service for victims of domestic abuse and human trafficking. Crucially, it mandates that carriers allow victims to separate their service (and that of dependents, such as children) from family plans controlled by their abuser.

T-Mobile Details 5G Expansion

Dec 12, 2022
T-Mobile's 5G network covers 323 million people and its faster "Ultra Capacity" 5G network now covers 260 million people, a goal the company has set for the end of this year. 300 million is the company's plan for the end of 2023.

more news about:

Comments

This forum is closed.

This forum is closed.

Zpike

May 2, 2014, 11:26 AM

It appears

I'm not the only one who is concerned about what Google is doing with GMS.

Joshmo

They offer good products, and I'm okay with them preloading it on android, just as apple preloads their stuff on the iPhone.

What I feel is antitrust behavior from google is them blocking youtube access from Microsoft.

dabbler

It appears that another group of parasitic ambulance chasing lawyers are trying to reach into some deep pockets and hope for a settlement. Settlement, because the law suit would have no chance with a jury.

Bababooey

I can smell out of court settlement. That's what these lawyers live for.

Zpike

seem to understand what is going on with GMS. You just assume that this another group trying to get some cash out of a big company. But you're oblivious to what is actually wrong with what Google is doing.

...

Page 1 of 1