Search giant Google is facing trouble in Russia. The country's Federal Antimonopoly Service reportedly accused the company today of violating Russian antitrust laws. The agency found that Google is abusing its position in the market. The decision could force Google to change its current practices in the country and potentially face a fine.
Russian authorities initiated a probe of Google after domestic competitor Yandex filed a complaint in February, The Wall Street Journal reports. At issue is whether Google's practice of bundling its own apps on Android phones constitutes anticompetitive behavior. "We believe the FAS’s decision will serve to restore competition on the market," a Yandex spokesperson says.
The Journal says that FAS found Google guilty of "abusing its dominant market position" but not of "unfair competition practices. "We haven't yet received the ruling," a Google spokesperson said in a statement. "When we do we will study it and determine our next steps."
The Russian investigation is not the only antitrust concerns facing the company overseas. In April, the European Union formally accused Google of antitrust violations. The question for the EU is whether Google uses its position as the dominant search engine to favor its own businesses, such as Google Shopping, over those of its competitors. The EU has also opened an investigation into whether the company uses its position to discourage carriers from bundling rivals' applications on Android phones.
Google has responded to the EU's initial claim by arguing that online shopping is more competitive than ever.
