Huan Qiu Wang Zi Xun·2025-08-19 03:36Core Points - The Australian Federal Court has approved a settlement agreement between Google and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), where Google will pay AUD 36 million (approximately USD 23.4 million) to resolve allegations of monopolistic practices related to "paid pre-installation" of Android search applications [1][3] - This fine is one of the largest imposed on a tech giant for anti-competitive behavior in Australia in recent years [1] Group 1 - The ACCC's investigation revealed that since 2018, Google entered into exclusive agreements with Australia's three major telecommunications operators (Telstra, Optus, Vodafone) to pay substantial fees for pre-installing Google search applications on new Android phones and setting it as the default search engine [3] - In exchange, Google provided revenue sharing and technical support to the operators [3] - The ACCC noted that these agreements hindered other search engines (such as Microsoft Bing and DuckDuckGo) from reaching users through pre-installation, making it nearly impossible for new entrants to gain market share [3] Group 2 - The investigation found that over 80% of Australian Android users never changed their default search engine, allowing Google to maintain over 95% market share in search [3] - The telecommunications operators increased phone prices or data plan costs to cover the pre-installation fees paid to Google, ultimately passing the costs onto consumers [3] - ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb emphasized that Google's actions deprived consumers of choice and harmed fair competition, significantly damaging the innovation vitality of Australia's digital economy [3] Group 3 - Under the settlement agreement, Google is required to pay the AUD 36 million fine within 30 days [3] - It is noteworthy that Google did not admit to any wrongdoing in the settlement, stating that it chose to settle to avoid long-term litigation costs and to focus on product innovation [3]