Google gets extension to respond to EU antitrust charges

The European Union is granting Google another extension to respond to antitrust allegations regarding its Android operating system.

The Commission agreed to grant Google a two-week extension, to Sept. 20, reports The Wall Street Journal. Google asked for the extension to have more time to answer the European Commission’s claims that Google “abused its dominant position by imposing restrictions on Android device manufacturers and mobile network operators.”

{mosads}According to an initial inquiry by the Commission, Google “implemented a strategy on mobile devices to preserve and strengthen its dominance in general internet search.”

The EU previously gave Google an extension from July 27 to Sept. 7 to respond.

Google also faces another antitrust claim the Commission issued in July alleging that the company “abused its dominant position by systematically favouring its comparison shopping service in its search result pages.”

The EU’s scrutiny of Google isn’t the only high-profile matter pitting European regulators against an American tech giant.

The new extension comes two weeks after the Commission’s ruling that Apple must pay $14.5 billion in back taxes to Ireland over what the Commission deemed unfair state aid.

Amazon is also currently awaiting a decision from the Commission regarding tax arrangements with Luxembourg, and Facebook has been ramping up its lobbying in Europe ahead of potential EU telecom reforms that could affect its WhatsApp messaging app.