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S’Korea fines Google $32m for blocking games on local app store

S'Korea fines Google $32m for blocking games on local app store

The antitrust regulator in South Korea fined Alphabet Inc’s Google 42.1 billion won ($31.88 million) for preventing the release of mobile video games on a competitor’s platform.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission stated on Tuesday that Google abused its market dominance while harming the revenue and value of the local app market One Store as a platform by requiring video game developers to exclusively release their titles on Google Play in exchange for providing in-app exposure between June 2016 and April 2018.

Google stated that it will review the KFTC’s final decision to determine the next course of action.

“Google makes substantial investments in the success of developers, and we respectfully disagree with the KFTC’s conclusions”, a KFTC spokesperson said.

The KFTC stated that the action against the US technology giant is part of the government’s efforts to ensure fair markets.

Game developers affected by Google’s action include Netmarble, Nexon, and NCSOFT, as well as smaller companies, according to the antitrust regulator.

The KFTC fined Google more than 200 billion won in 2021 for blocking customized versions of its Android operating system.

 

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