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Google given record fine by European Commission

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Google given record fine by European Commission

Google has been fined a record €4.34 billion (£3.9 billion) by the European Commission.

According to the European Commission, the firm had been using Android to illegally “cement its dominant position in general internet search”.

In a statement, an official said: “Google has used Android as a vehicle to cement the dominance of its search engine.”

“They have denied European consumers the benefits of effective competition in the important mobile sphere,” they added.

The fine is the biggest fine ever imposed by the regulator against a firm. The parent company, Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG), has 90 days to correct its practices or face further fines.

The fine will not pose any financial pressure on Google, who’s cash reserves totalled almost $103 billion in March.

The European Commission has been investigating Android since 2015, where the regulator has since made three specific allegations of anti-competitive behaviour and said Google was preventing manufacturers from selling mobile devices powered by rival operating systems.