Investigation into Market Dominance
As the Fair Trade Commission launched a reinvestigation into Google Korea over whether Google Korea abused its dominant position in the market in three years, it draws much attention whether or not the Korean government will join a global move to punish Google.
The antitrust agency already absolved Google Korea, saying that the search giant did not violate the Fair Trade Act three years ago. Criticism is brewing over the Fair Trade Commission as the agency belatedly began to look into Google after major countries punished Google on a full scale. Some people criticize the agency, saying that the agency is devoid of any specialties and belief and is intent on simply following foreign governments.
Industry watchers say that this time the Fair Trade Commission’s probe of Google focuses on Google’s hindrance to the use of other mobile OSs amid the European Commission’s investigation into Google. It is said that the Fair Trade Commission began the investigation into Google after monitoring market situations including the European Commission’s investigation into the global IT giant for about two months.
According to the Fair Trade Commission and the related industry, the antitrust agency carried out an on-the-spot investigation into Google Korea at its office in Tehran-ro, Seoul last week.
It is known that they looked into whether or not Google forced smartphone manufacturers not to use other OS products while supplying its Android OS to them.
But it is forecast that a reinvestigation will be impossible in connection with the pre-installation of mobile applications. The EU pointed out Google’s pre-installation of mobile applications and hampering the development of rival OS development. But the Fair Trade Commission already exonerated Google over the pre-installation of mobile applications so they are expected to zoom in on whether or not Google impeded the development of rival OSs this time.