Core Viewpoint - Google has agreed to pay a penalty of Aus$55 million (US$36 million) for anti-competitive practices related to pre-installing its search engine on Android devices sold by major Australian telecom companies [1][2]. Group 1: Legal Proceedings and Penalties - Australia's competition authority has initiated proceedings in the Federal Court, seeking to confirm the appropriateness of the penalty and other orders against Google [2]. - The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) stated that Google cooperated with the investigation and admitted to the anti-competitive agreements with Telstra and Optus, which were active from December 2019 to March 2021 [3][4]. Group 2: Impact on Competition - The ACCC highlighted that conduct restricting competition is illegal in Australia, as it typically leads to reduced consumer choice, increased costs, or inferior service [3]. - Google acknowledged that its agreements with Telstra and Optus likely had the effect of substantially lessening competition in the market [4]. Group 3: Future Commitments - Google expressed satisfaction in resolving the regulator's concerns and indicated that the controversial provisions had not been part of its commercial agreements for some time [4]. - Telstra and Optus have entered into court-enforceable agreements to refrain from making new deals to pre-install Google search as the default on Android devices [5].