Consumers withdraw U.S. lawsuit against Google over Android app limits

Plaintiffs in an antitrust lawsuit against Google Inc (GOOGL.O) on Friday withdrew their case accusing the search engine company of harming smartphone buyers by forcing handset makers using Android operating system to make Google’s own applications the default option. The class action lawsuit, filed by two smartphone customers in May 2014, was dismissed on Feb. 20 by U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman in San Jose, California. The lawsuit argued that Google requires Android handset manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd favour Google’s apps such as YouTube and restrict competing apps like Microsoft Corp’s Bing search.

Since Android’s introduction, greater competition in smartphones has given consumers more choices at lower prices.

Google spokesman Aaron Stein

Google also faces antitrust issues in Europe. The European Parliament in November urged antitrust authorities to break up Google and called on the European Commission to consider proposals to unbundle search engines from other commercial services.

Consumers had failed to show that higher prices stemmed from Google illegally forcing restrictive contracts on handset makers.

U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman

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