South Korea fines Google for abusing its dominant position

The antitrust regulator said Google’s terms with device makers on using its operating system restricted competition.

A South Korean antitrust regulator has fined Alphabet Inc’s Google 207 billion won ($176.64m) for blocking customised versions of its Android operating system (OS), in the US technology giant’s second setback in less than a month. The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) on Tuesday said terms with device makers amounted to the abuse of Google’s dominant market position that restricted competition in the mobile OS market. Google’s mobile operating system powers more than 80 percent of smartphones around the world. Google said in a statement it intends to appeal. It said the ruling ignores the benefits offered by Android’s compatibility with other programs and undermines advantages enjoyed by consumers.