Google in court to appeal EU’s 2018 Android antitrust case

By KELVIN CHAN
AP Business Writer

LONDON (AP) — Google is heading to a top European Union court to appeal a record EU antitrust penalty imposed for stifling competition by abusing the dominance of its Android operating system. The company is fighting a 2018 decision from the EU’s executive Commission that resulted in the 4.34 billion-euro ($5 billion) fine. In its original decision, the Commission said Google’s practices restrict competition and reduce choices for consumers. Google, however, plans to argue that free and open source Android has led to lower-priced phones and spurred competition with its chief rival, Apple. Android is the most popular mobile operating system, beating even Apple’s iOS, and is found on 80% of devices in Europe.