Google May Face Antitrust Probe In Russia Over Search Bundling

Google is the dominant search engine in many parts of the world and some of its competition are angry at the way Google bundles its search services with its other products. Specifically a Russian search engine called Yandex is complaining that Google bundles its search app with Android. Yandex has filed a complaint with the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia.

Yandex wants the Russian agency to conduct an investigation to see if Google is violating Russian antitrust law. Microsoft ran afoul of antirust regulations in the US and Europe over bundling its web browser with Windows, it would be easy to see Google having an issue with bundling its search app with Android in some countries.

Google search isn't the only Google service that Yandex is complaining about being bundled with Android. The Russian search firm says that Android is supposed to be an open platform, but Google requires device makers to pre-install certain Google apps and set Google to the default search service.

Yandex also complains that Android device makers are not allowed to pre-install services from Google competitors. Yandex is the largest search engine in Russia with 60% of the overall market in the country, despite the fact that it has a very small presence in other countries. Yandex only has 44% of the search market on Android devices, a marked decline from the 52% of the search market on Android it had a year ago. Yandex also cited three device makers called Prestigio, Fly, and Explay who told it they were no longer able to pre-install Yandex services on their smart devices.

SOURCE: CNET