Google is to be fined a record $5 billion (4.3 billion euros) over its Android operating system by the European Commission. The European Commission's action followed a three year probe into claims that the tech firm's mobile device strategy had unfairly strengthened its dominance of internet search.

The European Commission first began scrutinising Android in April 2015, following a complaint by Fairsearch - a trade group that originally included Microsoft, Nokia and Oracle among its members.

The Android Operating System controls more than 80 percent of smartphones globally.

The commission subsequently made three specific allegations of anti-competitive behaviour, saying Google was:

  • requiring Android handset and tablet manufacturers to set its search engine as the default and pre-install the Chrome browser before allowing them to offer access to its Play app store

  • preventing manufacturers from selling mobile devices powered by rival operating systems based on Android's open source code

  • giving device manufacturers and mobile networks financial incentives to provide its own search service as the sole pre-installed option

In response, Google has said users are free to delete its apps. The company has mounted a strong defence of its open-source Android operating system, saying it “keeps manufacturers’ costs low and their flexibility high, while giving consumers unprecedented control of their mobile devices”.

According to Reuters, the competition authorities delayed the Google announcement by one week to avoid a clash with the NATO summit, where Trump lambasted the U.S.’s European allies.

Facebook, Intel, and Microsoft have all faced significant anti-competition fines from the European Commission.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 18, 2018 04:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).