Internet search giant Google is facing a new anti-trust onslaught, this time from Russia’s Anti-Monopoly Service at the behest of Russia’s biggest search engine Yandex.
Yandex alleges Google is abusing the dominance of its Android mobile operating system.
The case echoes a similar probe in Europe focused on whether Google takes advantage of its 80pc global market share of the smartphone market with the Android OS to promote services.
Yandex claims its mobile applications, such as Yandex.Taxi, are being shut out of the Google Play app store.
About 70pc of smartphones in Russia run on Android software, according to Morgan Stanley.
Yandex also alleges Google does not allow manufacturers to install the Yandex search bar on the home screen of Android devices.
It claims Google has also signed specific deals with Russian smartphone makers to ensure Android devices come with Google services and applications pre-installed on their devices.
“It’s a question of transparent and fair conditions for access to the market,” said Yandex’s head of product Yuri Vecher on Russian news site Slon.ru.
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