Germany: Announced Federal Cartel Office assessment of Google's proposed commitments to resolve the alleged anticompetitive practices related to Google Automotive Services and the Google Maps Platform

On 20 December 2023, Google submitted proposals to address concerns raised by the Federal Cartel Office (FCO) regarding its practices related to Google Automotive Services and Google Maps Platform. Google Automotive Services (GAS) is a collection of products licensed by Google to car manufacturers, including the Google Maps mapping service, the Google Play app store, and the Google Assistant voice assistant. The GAS is exclusively available on the Android Automotive Operating System, which is developed by Google. According to the Bundeskartellamt, Google only offers these services as a bundle and not as separate services. The FCO claimed that offering the service as a bundle can restrict competition and enable Google to expand its dominant position to new markets. Furthermore, it has been alleged that Google entered into agreements with car manufacturers to install the Google Assistant exclusively and share advertising revenues. Moreover, it has been alleged that Google enforced contractual provisions requiring licensees of Google Automotive Services to set Google services as the default or display them before other applications. Additionally, Google has been accused of hindering or denying interoperability of its services with third-party services on the GAS infotainment platform, thereby restricting or preventing the use of other companies' services. As a proposed solution, Google offers separate products in addition to the Google Automotive Services bundle, namely an OEM software development kit for Google Maps, the Google Play Store, and the Cloud Custom Assistant for vehicles. Contractual provisions should be abolished, thereby eliminating the exclusivity of Google Assistant and the preferential treatment of Google services in order to promote interoperability with third-party services. The Bundeskartellamt will assess whether these proposals to unbundle Google services are sufficient based on the market test.