FTC to investigate Google for anti-trust abuses over Android operating system

This is the not the first time Google has been accused of abusing anti-trust laws. According to a new report, the Federal Trade Commission is about to step in and begin investigating whether Google has an unfair advantage by using Android to gain popularity of its services.

As most of you know, Google’s Android operating system is open source meaning the company allows others to use it free of cost. However, the companies apps and services are not open source. When a company or carrier wants to ship devices running the Android operating system they need Google’s approval. This is where Google is being accused. Google forces these companies and/or carriers to include Google’s core applications such as Gmail, Maps and more. The FTC believes that by promoting its apps through its widely popular mobile operating system gives the company an advantage and shouldn’t be allowed. If the FTC finds the company guilty of a Monopoly with its Android operating system, Google could very well be charged and forced to remove the pre-installed apps for future Android powered handsets. As of now, Google is yet to provide a response. Whether this will be seen as a violation or not, users will always be allowed to download the company’s services after purchasing the device via the Play Store.