Google must allow ‘unbundling’ Android apps in Russia from November 18

The Russian competition watchdog FAZ has given Google until November 18 this year to end the mandatory bundling of Android apps with smartphones that have access to the Play Store. Manufacturers should then be able to install competing apps.

FAZ previously found that Google is abusing its dominant position with Android and has now given the search company an ultimatum to end it. Google must relax its agreements with smartphone manufacturers, including the freedom to pre-install applications from Google’s competitors and integrate a search engine other than Google’s.

Google sets these requirements if manufacturers want to provide access to the Play store for Android applications. Google must also stop enforcing the placement of apps in prominent places on the screen. The fine for Google can be up to 15 percent of its annual turnover in Russia.

The case was brought before the Russian anti-monopoly agency by Yandex, a competitor in Russia with a popular search engine. Yandex said in a statement to TechCrunch that it had submitted the request for investigation to the FAZ because Google would impose more and more restrictions: “Our goal is to make it fairer to the market, if apps are placed on mobile devices because of their popularity or quality. rather than restrictions imposed by the operating system owner.”