Google fined up to $36M by Australia for anti-competitive practices
The ACCC has taken legal action against Google Asia Pacific for anti-competitive conduct related to pre-installation agreements with Telstra and Optus, which restricted consumer choice and hindered competition in the Australian search engine market. Google has admitted liability, agreed to pay a $55 million penalty, and committed to removing certain restrictions from its contracts, aiming to foster greater competition and consumer choice, especially with the rise of AI search tools.