In South Korea, Google is suspected of holding a monopoly in the Android store market
Google has faced another accusation of monopoly. This time, the accuser is the South Korean Fair Trade Commission (KFTC). Read more.
The Korean regulator shared preliminary results of its investigation into Google's operations in the Android app store market. Specifically, it discovered that the corporation abused its dominant position to lure major developers to Google Play.
As the KFTC reminded, in 2019, Google launched a special program under the code name Project Hug. It is alleged that under this program, Google paid well-known companies like NCSoft, Netmarble, Riot Games, and Activision Blizzard to distribute games in its store, thereby supposedly suppressing competition. Incidentally, the existence of Project Hug only became public in 2021 — the program was revealed by Epic Games during its legal battle with the corporation.
According to KFTC estimates, from July 2019 to March 2026, Google has earned approximately $9.2 billion through monopolistic actions.
If KFTC's preliminary findings are confirmed, Google could face a hefty fine in South Korea. The company may be required to pay 6% of the aforementioned amount to the country's treasury. In any case, Google denies the accusations.