Google Faces $55 Million Fine for Locking out Rival Search Engines: ACCC

Regulator says agreements forced Android phones to use Google Search exclusively, limiting consumer choice.

Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., on July 31, 2025. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has commenced Federal Court proceedings against Google Asia Pacific after the tech giant admitted to striking anti-competitive agreements with Australia’s largest telcos to pre-install its search engines.

In a statement, ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb confirmed Google has “admitted liability and agreed to jointly submit to the court that Google should pay a total penalty of $55 million.”