Google is once again under conviction in Europe. The competition police in Italy announced Thursday, May 13, to impose a heavy fine on Google for abuse of a dominant position.
This fine, d‘an amount of more than 102 million euros, is justified by the online search giant’s refusal to accept a third-party application on its Google Play platform to find charging stations for electric cars, specifies a press release from the Authority responsible for competition and the market (AGCM).
“Through the Android operating system and the Google Play application store, Google holds a dominant position (…). It should be remembered that in Italy around three quarters of smartphones use Android ”, explains the AGCM.
A poorly referenced site for two years
According to an investigation by the Italian regulator, “Google did not allow” the use of the JuicePass application, developed by the Italian energy giant ENEL, on its Android Auto system which allows a vehicle to connect and obtain numerous services. “JuicePass offers a wide range of services for recharging electric vehicles, ranging from finding a charging station to managing charging, including reserving a station”, continues the competition authority.
This application competes with the American giant’s Google Maps application, which currently only allows you to search for charging stations for electric vehicles. “Google, by refusing ENEL X Italia (…) to make JuicePass available on Android Auto, unfairly limited the possibilities for users of the ENEL application ”, estimates the AGCM, which had opened an investigation in May 2019.
“The exclusion of the ENEL X Italia application from Android Auto has lasted for more than two years. The continuation of this conduct could definitively jeopardize the possibility for ENEL X Italia to build a solid user base at a time of significant growth in sales of electric vehicles ”, adds authority.
In this context, the Italian regulator also imposed on Google to make available to ENEL X Italia and other application developers “Instruments for programming applications running on Android Auto”. This obligation will be checked with the help of an independent expert from the AGCM “To which Google must provide all the collaboration and information requested”, concludes the press release.