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2h ago

Google Admits Exclusive Telco Search Deals, Proposes A$55 Million Penalty

It triggers a Federal Court review of a proposed A$55 million fine alongside an undertaking to strip exclusive default search provisions from Google’s contracts

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A Google logo is seen at a company research facility in Mountain View, California, U.S., May 13, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
FILE - A woman walks by a giant screen with a logo at an event at the Paris Google Lab on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit in Paris, on Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus,File)
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Overview

  • Google acknowledged that between December 2019 and March 2021 its revenue-share agreements with Telstra and Optus required exclusive pre-installation of Google Search on Android devices, excluding rival engines.
  • In exchange for locking out competitors, Telstra and Optus received a share of the advertising revenue generated by Google Search on those handsets.
  • The ACCC and Google have jointly asked the Federal Court to approve a A$55 million penalty, with the court to determine if that amount and any further orders are appropriate.
  • Google Asia Pacific and Google LLC have signed a court-enforceable undertaking to remove certain pre-installation and default search restrictions from contracts with device makers and telcos.
  • Telstra, Optus and TPG had already given undertakings in mid-2024 not to renew or enter similar exclusive search deals, reflecting the ACCC’s broader Digital Platforms Inquiry findings.