The Google dominance has reached a level that is beginning to ring alarm bells even in the United Sates of America, as the U.S Federal Trade Commission has finally decided to step in and ensure that the other app developers are given adequate exposure to all Android users across the globe.
The investigation, which already got the approval of the Justice Department, will try to answer one simple core question: Is Google giving its apps an unfair advantage in the Android system over other apps by other developers?
According to official reports, Android is truly a monopoly, especially in the apps arena. Android has more than 59% of the U.S market share in the mobile application division - which is a very conservative number according to industry experts. Even if we go by the conservative numbers for now, then it means 59% of all smart-devices in the U.S has Google Play Store, the window to all other apps installed on them. On top of this, all the units have the Google eco-system, which includes Gmail, Chrome, YouTube and other Google services, installed in them by default. All this ever so slightly hints towards a complete Google dominance which can lead to unfair advantages being provided to its own apps.
Google can certainly argue that they are ensuring ‘total user convenience’ by providing a complete Google eco-system to the users but it is undeniable that the organization is benefiting in unimaginable proportions from the beautiful alignment of its products.
Till date the Android app ecosystem has only two major competitors – Apple’s App Store which is only available to iPhone users and Microsoft’s app store, which has hilariously failed to gain any traction so far.
At present the formal investigation will be carried out discreetly and the authorities will probe into this issue more deeply.
Josh Simpson, the director of the Privacy Project at the advocacy organization Consumer Watchdog, was very happy to learn about the FTC’s possible investigation of Google.
“I definitely think they are engaged in some anticompetitive behavior with Android. If the FTC is doing it, more power to them,” commented Simpson, adding that it was opinion only that the Android OS might favors Google apps.
With the extremely rapid development of the internet and all associated technologies, the first-mover companies are gaining an unstoppable competitive advantage, according to Simpson.
“I think the tech companies push the boundaries,” he added.
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