Chinese government criticises Android dominance

Agencies in China have criticised Google, makers of the Android mobile operating system, because of Android's dominance in the Chinese smartphone market. According to the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal, a report by the China Academy of Telecommunication Research, which is affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, has said that the research into and development of mobile operating systems is too dependent on Android. The report also says that Google has been discriminating against Chinese companies.

Android's share among the mobile operating systems that are used in China jumped from 0.6 per cent in 2009 to 86.4 in 2012. Reportedly, the academy said that, while Android is based on an open source platform and therefore available free of charge, the system's core technologies are controlled by Google. According to the academy, Google has delayed the release of important code for the latest Android versions and discriminated against Chinese companies through the use of restrictive business agreements.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the institute's report could indicate that Google's takeover activities in connection with Motorola may have violated restrictions imposed by the Chinese competition watchdogs. Reportedly, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce's approval of the deal in May 2012 was given on the condition that Google wouldn't misuse its market dominance to discriminate against local companies.

(fab)