Google given extra time to answer EU antitrust charges on Android

A woman hovers a mouse over the Google and European Union logos in this April 15, 2015 photo illustration.

Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Alphabet Inc’s Google has been given an extra 6 weeks to early September to respond to EU charges that it uses its dominant Android mobile operating system to squeeze out rivals, EU antitrust regulators said on Tuesday.

The U.S. technology giant found itself under fire in April as the European Commission said its requirement that mobile phone manufacturers pre-install Google Search and the Google Chrome browser in order to get access to other Google apps may harm consumers and competition.

The EU watchdog had originally given Google until July 27 to reply to the charges.

“The Commission has agreed to extend Google’s deadline to respond to its Statement of Objections concerning Android and its applications until 7 September. Google asked for additional time to review the documents in the case file,” Commission spokesman Ricardo Cardoso said in an email.

Google, which can face fines up to $7.4 billion or 10 percent of its global turnover for each antitrust case, did not immediately respond to a request for comments.

Google is also fighting an EU accusation that it favors its shopping service in Internet search results over rivals.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee, editing by Robert-Jan Bartunek and Alexandra Hudson)