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EU: Google to charge smartphone makers for Google Play

By  |  October 16, 2018
US tech giant Google will charge smartphone makers a licensing fee for using its popular Google Play app store and also allow them to use rival versions of its Android mobile operating system to comply with an EU antitrust order, reported the New York Times.

Google, an Alphabet subsidiary, announced the changes on Tuesday, three months after the European Commission handed it a landmark €4.34 billion (US$5 billion) fine for using its popular Android mobile operating system to hinder rivals.

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    The new arrangement is the latest sign of global technology companies adjusting their business practices in Europe to account for stiffer regulations.

    Online privacy regulations adopted in May have forced companies in Europe to add new data protection policies that restrict how people are tracked across the internet. Germany has adopted tough laws to prevent the spread of hate speech and misinformation that require Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter to take down more content or risk fines — a strategy other countries in the region are considering. A copyright law being negotiated in the European Union would also limit what articles and videos a website can post online without a license.

    Google announced it would sell a license for a package including its Google Play app store, Gmail, YouTube, and Maps. Another license will be available for companies wanting to pre-install Google Search and the Chrome browser, allowing handset makers to partner with rival services.

    Full Content: The New York Times

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