Google Just Lost A Huge Antitrust Case For Android

With governments all over the world regulating Apple and Google's duopoly on smartphone software, Mexico has recently taken a huge step toward defying Android's dominance. According to El Economista, Mexico's National Antitrust Commission (CNA) ordered Google to remove restrictive clauses in its contracts with smartphone manufacturers, which now allows them to produce and distribute hardware with alternative operating systems to Android without contractual penalties.

With that, Samsung could theoretically announce a future Galaxy phone running proprietary software rather than relying on Android. Even though this doesn't mean users will see a Motorola phone running iOS, this gives these manufacturers the freedom to develop their own software or create their own version based on the open-source Android project.

After all, Google required manufacturers to sign compatibility and exclusivity agreements to restrict them from developing or commercializing their own operating systems if they wanted to continue to have access to Google Mobile Services.

Thanks to CNA's decision, manufacturers can now offer deeper customization or alternative software without jeopardizing their relationship with Google. More than that, developers will be able to distribute their apps through different methods, as they no longer will be required to stay attached to a single one.

In an official communication, CNA says it's amplifying alternatives for manufacturers while reducing costs when closing deals with Google. With that, the company can't limit smartphone makers to selling devices that run Android exclusively, effective upon publication of the decision.

Besides Mexico's recent decision regarding Google, another Latin American government also made an important decision regarding big tech's monopoly, as Brazil's watchdog ordered Apple to open up the iPhone to third-party marketplaces, bringing customers new ways to download apps and developers new ways to distribute them. BGR will continue to follow how governments require Google, Apple, and other big tech companies to comply with regulations to improve market competitiveness.