A Preliminary Assessment of the European Commission’s Google Android Decision
Competition Policy International Antitrust Chronicle, December 2018
8 Pages Posted: 17 Jan 2019
Date Written: December 17, 2018
Abstract
This article offers a preliminary overview of some of the pertinent aspects of the European Commission’s Google Android decision. It discusses the definition of the relevant market and competitive constraints in the case, including the potential constraint from Apple. It also offers thoughts on the theory of harm in the case and suggests that Google Android may be better perceived as a case concerning refusal to deal than tying. Finally, the article discusses some of the implications of the decision and notes the growing importance of objective, commercial justifications in the context of technology markets where services are monetised in very different ways by different providers.
Keywords: Android, European Commission, Google, Abuse of a Dominant Position
JEL Classification: K21, L12, K42
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation