Google also admitted the arrangement had an important impact on competition from rival search engines. He stopped signing similar deals at the same time he agreed to the fine, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission also added, also known as ACCC.
Chair Gina-Cass Gottlieb said that “Today's outcome ... created the potential for millions of Australians to have greater search choice in the future, and for competing search providers to gain meaningful exposure to Australian consumers,".
As a response, Google and the ACCC have commonly submitted to the Federal Court that Google should pay the A$55 million fine. The court must still decide whether or not the penalty is appropriate, the ACCC said, yet the cooperation between the regulator and Google has helped them stay away from lengthy litigation.
One spokesperson from Google said that the company was pleased to resolve the ACCC’s concerns, which involved “provisions that haven't been in our commercial agreements for some time".
The spokesperson also added, “We are committed to providing Android device makers more flexibility to pre-load browsers and search apps, while preserving the offerings and features that help them innovate, compete with Apple, and keep costs low," reported Reuters.
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