By Rachel More and Foo Yun Chee
BERLIN (Reuters) -Google agreed on Wednesday to modify its automotive services and maps platform to end a German antitrust investigation that could have resulted in a hefty fine, with the changes applying across Europe.
The German Federal Cartel Office said it had ended its probe into the matter in light of commitments made by the company.
“I am delighted that we have been able to reach an agreement with Google and thus achieve immediate positive effects for the economic sectors affected. Google’s commitments have the potential to bring about far-reaching changes in the market,” Federal Cartel Office president Andreas Mundt said in a statement.
The remedies are expected to apply more broadly and not just in Germany because carmakers seek to develop uniform systems that can be deployed internationally.
The office had previously expressed concerns over the company’s in-car maps and infotainment systems due to their bundled form, which it said could impede competitors’ chances of selling similar services individually.
In December 2023, around six months after the regulator raised these concerns and a potential ban, Google sought to dispel them by proposing measures that would allow the use of competitors’ maps and apps within its platform.
Under the agreement with the regulator, Google Automotive Services, consisting of Google Maps, Google Play and Google Assistant, will include the possibility of using other services in in-vehicle infotainment systems.
Google has also committed to removing contractual provisions restricting the combined use of its map services and those of other providers, such as HERE, Mapbox or TomTom.
The German investigation was triggered by a complaint from Dutch rival TomTom.
“Google’s platforms and services have always offered developers, carmakers and consumers innovation and choice. Our terms have been industry-standard, and we’ll continue supporting our customers with innovative, helpful products for end users,” Google spokesperson Ralf Bremer said in a statement.
Armed with new powers in 2021, Germany’s cartel office has launched a number of competition probes into major tech companies in recent years whose market position it has flagged as concerning, including Google parent Alphabet as well as Facebook’s Meta and Apple.
(Editing by Miranda Murray; Editing by Kim Coghill)
