Google charged over Android

Google has been charged with abusing the dominant position of its Android mobile operating system by the European Union, opening a second front against the US technology giant that could lead to large fines.

EU competition regulators said that by requiring mobile phone manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and the Google Chrome browser, the US company was denying consumers a wider choice of mobile apps and stifling innovation.

Google is already facing EU charges over the promotion of its shopping service in internet searches at the expense of rival services, in a case that has dragged on since late 2010 despite three attempts to resolve the issues.