Google’s ‘anti-competition’ practice under scanner in S Korea

Since 2016, the regulator has been looking into Google over allegations that it obstructed local smartphone makers from using operating systems run by other rivals.

Seoul: South Korea’s antitrust regulator said in Thursday it will hold its final review of whether Google LLC abused its market dominance in the mobile operating system and app markets.

Since 2016, the regulator has been looking into Google over allegations that it obstructed local smartphone makers from using operating systems run by other rivals.

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The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) said it will hold its third and final plenary meeting over the case on September 1 before it decides whether to take punitive actions against the US tech giant, reports Yonhap news agency.

Related review sessions were also held in May and July.

Separately, the regulator is investigating whether Google allegedly forced mobile game applications to be only released on its Play store.

The KFTC has been also probing into whether Google’s new billing policy has harmed market competition.

Google earlier announced a plan to charge a 30 percent fee to all app developers over in-app digital content purchases in South Korea.

Last month, a parliamentary committee endorsed a revised act that seeks to ban app market operators from forcing certain payment systems on developers by unfairly using their market status.