Google has announced changes in how European smartphone and tablet makers can use Google’s Android apps in response to the EU’s $5 billion fine. Going forward, EU manufacturers will now have to pay Google a license fee to bundle Google’s suite of mobile apps.


In July, the European Commission fined Google for breaching EU antitrust rules by allegedly forcing EU manufacturers to pre-install Google search and their suite of bundled apps, paying manufacturers to make Google the exclusive search app, and by obstructing the development of competing mobile software. As part of this ruling, Google was told they needed to stop this behavior.

Google has stated that the bundling of Google Search and Chrome funded the development of the Android operating system. Without the pre-installation of these apps, European mobile device manufacturers will now need to pay a license fee to bundle Google’s Android apps such as Google Play, Maps, and YouTube.



“Since the pre-installation of Google Search and Chrome together with our other apps helped us fund the development and free distribution of Android, we will introduce a new paid licensing agreement for smartphones and tablets shipped into the EEA. Android will remain free and open source.” writes Google’s Hiroshi Lockheimer in a blog post.

Google Chrome and Search will also be available, but will need to be licensed under separate agreements.

“Second, device manufacturers will be able to license the Google mobile application suite separately from the Google Search App or the Chrome browser,” the announcement continues. “Since the pre-installation of Google Search and Chrome together with our other apps helped us fund the development and free distribution of Android, we will introduce a new paid licensing agreement for smartphones and tablets shipped into the EEA. Android will remain free and open source.”

This new license agreement is planned to go into effect on October 29th, 2018 for all new smartphones and tablets launched in Europe.