Google had to clear a few hurdles to close its acquisition of ITA Software, which it did last week. This was finally accomplished after numerous anti-competition cries from competitors, but provided Google made good on certain stipulations, the Department of Justice ultimately gave Google its blessings.
Last week more Google-related antitrust allegations erupted, this time out of South Korea, where the country’s top Internet portals made claims about an Android/Google lock-in.
As previously reported, NHN Corp and Daum Communications filed a complaint with the country’s Fair Trade Commission, saying Google was preventing competition, using the status of Android as a dominant mobile operaring system to make it hard for users to use search engines other than Google.
Today, Google has responded, saying, “Android is an open platform, and carrier and [original equipment manufacturer] partners are free to decide which applications and services to include on their Android phones.” (per a statement obtained by PCWorld).
That publication also has a statement from a Daum spokesperson, saying: “We filed complaints against Google, arguing that Google used direct and indirect influence over Android-based phone manufacturers to block other search engines or applications from being placed before Google’s search box.”
As we pointed out in a previous article, Google has had legal issues in South Korean before. Specifically, police actually raided Google’s offices over its Street View data collection ordeal, which was later determined to be a violation of privacy laws.
