Google fined 200 billion KRW for 'Android pre-installation coercion', sues Fair Trade Commission

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Google, which was fined over 200 billion KRW by the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) for forcing smartphone manufacturers to preinstall its own operating system (OS), Android, has initiated legal action.

According to the legal community on the 9th, Google filed a lawsuit on the 24th of last month against the KFTC seeking cancellation of the corrective order and the fine imposition.

The KFTC's sanction has the effect of a first-instance court ruling, so when a lawsuit is filed, the Seoul High Court immediately hears the case. Google has also applied to the same court for a suspension of the sanction's effect, similar to an injunction, and a hearing is scheduled for the 25th of this month.

Previously, Google LLC, Google Asia Pacific, and Google Korea were fined 207.4 billion KRW and received corrective orders from the KFTC in September last year for forcing smartphone manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics to preinstall Android.

According to the KFTC, after securing a dominant market share of 72% in the mobile market with the Android OS, Google prohibited manufacturers from producing devices with 'Fork OS' (an OS created by modifying the Android source code released by Google) from 2011 until the time the fine was imposed.

It was investigated that Google required manufacturers to sign a 'Anti-Fragmentation Agreement' (AFA) as a mandatory condition when concluding essential agreements such as the Play Store license contract and the Android Early Access license contract, which provides the latest version of the Android source code. This applied not only to smartphones but also to smartwatches and smart TVs.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.