Google defends its Android phone maker deals and denies carrot-and-stick tactics

 Alphabet unit Google on Tuesday stated offers with Android telephone makers that landed it a report 4.3-billion-euro ($five billion) antitrust exceptional boosted competition and rejected EU fees they have been a carrot-and-stick tactic that stifled competitors.

Google changed into addressing the second day of every week-long listening to as it tries to get Europe's 2d-highest court docket to annul the quality and a European Commission order to make it loosen its search engine grip on Android devices.

Lawyers for Google and the EU opposition executive clashed over the employer's Mobile Application Distribution Agreements (MADAs) that require phone makers (OEMs) to pre-set up the Google Search app and Chrome browser app in go back for licensing Google Play totally free.

"This licensing version is what attracted OEMs to the Android platform, and what enabled those OEMs to provide a constant and first rate person enjoy at the lowest feasible rate," Google's lawyer Alfonso Lamadrid instructed the General Court.

"People use Google because they choose to, now not because they may be forced to," he said.

Commission attorney Carlos Urraca Caviedes rejected the argument, calling the deals and different restrictions Google's carrot-and-stick policy toward smartphone makers.

"These helped Google ensured its competitors would now not obtain crucial mass to task its dominance," he instructed the courtroom.

He additionally stated such deals have been unnecessary in view of the market strength of Google, the sector's most popular internet seek engine, and its huge wide variety of customers.

Urraca Caviedes said what Google did "goes beyond what is important to broaden and keep the Android platform".

A verdict can also come next yr. The case is T-604/18 Google vs European Commission.

($1 = 0.8537 euros)