The technology giant refused to accept on its Google Play platform an application that allows locating charging terminals for electric vehicles.
Italy’s competition regulator announced Thursday that it was fining Google more than 102 million euros ($ 123 million) for abuse of a dominant position.
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This fine is due to the refusal of the technology giant to accept on its Google Play platform an application that allows locating charging terminals for electric vehicles, the Italian body said in a statement.
“Through the Android operating system and the Google Play application store, Google has a dominant position (…) It must be remembered that in Italy about three-quarters of smartphones use Android,” said the antitrust authority.
According to an investigation by the Italian regulator, “Google did not authorize” the use of the JuicePass application, developed by the Italian energy giant Enel, on its Android Auto system.
“JuicePass offers a wide range of services for charging electric vehicles, ranging from finding a charging station to managing the charging process and reserving a station,” said the Italian body.
This application competes with that of the American giant, Google Maps, which, however, currently only allows you to search for charging stations for electric vehicles.
“Google, by denying Enel X Italia (…) the availability of JuicePass in Android Auto, unfairly limited the possibilities for users of the Enel application,” said the agency, which had opened an investigation in May 2019.
In this context, the antitrust authority also required Google to make available to Enel X Italia and other companies that develop applications “the tools for application programming that work on Android Auto”.
This obligation will be controlled with the help of an independent expert from the regulator “to whom Google will have to facilitate all the collaboration and information that it demands,” the text concluded.
Following the announcement, Google said it “respectfully disagrees with the decision,” according to a statement from the tech giant. “Android Auto’s number 1 priority is ensuring that applications can be used safely while driving. It is for this reason that we have strict guidelines on the types of applications ”supported by the system, he added.
The group assures that there are “thousands” of applications compatible with Android Auto and indicates that it will examine the documentation of the Italian regulator to “decide the next steps”.
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