MOSCOW, Sept. 15 (UPI) — The Russian government’s antitrust office found Google to be guilty of abusing the country’s dominant market, or anti-monopoly, position.
A probe by the Federal Antimonopoly Service begun in February concluded Google forced Russian vendors to preload Android smartphones with Google apps, as well as forbade vendors from loading the phones with services from rival search engines, notably those of Yandex NV.
Yandex is Russia’s largest search engine and the initiator of the complaint against Google.
About 86 percent of Russia’s smartphones are powered by Android, limiting the offerings of Yandex. Stock shares of Yandex rose 7 percent after news of Google’s anti-competitive practices emerged. Google could receive a fine of up to 15 percent of its income in Russia.
Google’s offense was “abusing its dominant market position,” but not of engaging in “unfair competition practices,” a Federal Antimonopoly Service regulator told The Wall Street Journal.
Google, headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., has been involved in a five-year investigation regarding allegedly similar practices within the European Union. The company said it had not yet received the ruling from the Russian agency, which was expected to be issued within 10 business days.
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