Google Hit With Antitrust Lawsuit Over Default Search on Android Phones

itwbennett writes: "A class-action lawsuit filed Thursday (PDF) accuses Google of strong-arming device manufacturers into making its search engine the default on Android devices, driving up the cost of those devices and hurting consumers. The suit does not argue that device manufacturers entered Mobile Application Distribution Agreements involuntarily, but that the market power of Google compels them to. 'Because consumers want access to Google's products, and due to Google's power in the U.S. market for general handheld search, Google has unrivaled market power over smartphone and tablet manufacturers,' says the suit."

Re:Oh the humanity!

[spacepimp]

They already have done this. There were Android phones where Verizon was paid to have Bing as the default.

Re:Oh the humanity!

[Noah Haders]

no, but it's tied in through business contracts as part of the handset alliance, which is the exact point of this suit.

Re:flame on!

[BasilBrush]

I don't know about Bing. But duckduckgo is very anonymous.

https://duckduckgo.com/ [duckduckgo.com]

If you follow the links on the right side of the screen, they'll show you the many ways in which Google breach your privacy and they don't.

Re:Oh the humanity!

[thaylin]

Being part of the OHA does not require you do use google search, agreeing to the MADA does, which is not a requirement of the OHA, so I am not seeing where your misdirection is going. IF a requirement of joining the OHA was also the signing of MADA then you would have a point.