Google to pay $35.8 million fine in Australia: reasons for the court's decision

According to glavcom.ua: Google has agreed to pay a fine of $35.8 million in Australia due to competition violations. The country's regulatory authorities found that the tech giant harmed competitors by paying two leading telecommunications companies for installing its search application on Android phones.

The violations occurred through agreements with Telstra and Optus, where Google shared advertising revenue generated through Google Search on Android devices. This practice violated competition and limited user choice, leading to the fine and the conclusion of an agreement to prevent future violations.

«Today's outcome... has created the opportunity for millions of Australians to have greater choice of search engines in the future, and for competing search engines to gain significant exposure among Australian consumers,» said ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb.

This is not the first situation where Google has faced antitrust accusations in Australia. Its previous actions in making agreements with telecommunications companies have been the subject of court disputes, which have simultaneously led to fines and adjustments in practices.

In addition, last month, YouTube, owned by Google, was added to the list of prohibited social networks for users under 16 in Australia. This decision was overturned, but the global internet giant continues to maintain its market position in the country amid various legal and competitive challenges.

As a result of the $35.8 million fine for competition violations in Australia, Google has agreed to change its collaboration practices with telecommunications companies, allowing users to have greater choice of search engines in the future. Previous experiences of YouTube, which belongs to Google, with negative situations in Australia indicate the company's ongoing emphasis on maintaining its market position and determination to resolve conflicts with regulatory authorities.