Nokia and Microsoft complain about Google's dominance

News Tony Crammond 12:45, 7 May 2013

Nokia and Microsoft are among 17 companies who have complained to the EU over Google's dominance of information

Nokia and Microsoft are heading up the campaign to stop Google from dominating the apps market across all platforms for their own gain.

The FairSearch group has complained to the EU over the conduct of search provider Google, alleging the company uses its core Android applications in a ‘predatory’ and monopolistic way, to smother rivals and maintain dominance in the smartphone market.

The complaint states that 'Google’s predatory distribution of Android at below-cost makes it difficult for other providers of operating systems to recoup investments in competing with Google’s dominant mobile platform'.

The issue was raised by a group calling itself FairSearch, which consists of 17 companies, including the likes of Nokia and Microsoft.

FairSearch alleges that Google’s insistence that manufacturers wanting to use its core applications, such as Maps or YouTube (which are routinely demanded by users) install a whole suite of applications designed to harvest users’ private data for targeted advertising.

The group claims this prevents rival applications from flourishing, but the complaint doesn’t seem to be solely motivated by the greater good.

The FairSearch Group suggest that in using its core applications in this way Google is guilty of shutting out rivals, who might want to provide services (and profit from advertising revenue). It hopes that the European Commission will act to prevent the search giant from having all the fun and making a huge profit when they want a slice of the action too.

Speaking at a conference, Nokia’s head of competition law, Jenni Lukander commented that, 'Google gets control over the choices of other companies and, ultimately, over the choices of consumers' by dictating the terms and conditions of use for sought after mobile apps.'

While the cynical amongst us may note that the companies donning their capes of faux moral superiority are, in fact, merely moving to ensure their own continued profitability, the bigger picture, which may affect the way users are provided services in the future, is one which would appear to merit further investigation.

This is just the latest spat in the smartphone market, with Nokia already getting an injunction against the HTC One this year and the comapny backing Apple's plans to get Samsung devices banned.