German Regulator Cautions Google on Car Infotainment System
On Wednesday, Germany’s competition regulator expressed disapproval of Google’s in-car entertainment system, citing concerns that the integration of various services could potentially provide the American tech company with an unjust advantage over its rivals.
The Federal Antitrust Office said it has warned Google parent Alphabet in a preliminary legal review that it plans to ban various “anti-competitive practices” related to Google Automative Services (GAS).
The GAS platform, licensed to vehicle manufacturers, includes Google Maps, a version of the Google Play app store, and Google Voice Assistant.
“We are particularly critical of the fact that Google offers its services for infotainment systems only as a package, as this weakens the opportunities for its competitors to sell their competing services as individual services,” said Andreas Mundt, head of the Federal Antitrust Office. in the statement.
Google will now have an opportunity to respond to the allegations, it added.
The supervisory organization already started an investigation into Google Maps last year to find out whether restrictions on connecting the platform to third-party map services hinder competition.
The investigation is still ongoing.
Last year, the Federal Antitrust Office classified Alphabet as “the first important company in terms of cross-market competition,” allowing for closer monitoring for possible abuse of market position.
Other tech fraudsters Amazon, Apple and Meta have also come under closer scrutiny, which has made the new German legislation possible.
Germany’s competition law, which came into force in 2021, gives the federal antitrust agency greater powers to crack down on anti-competitive behavior by tech giants.
