Why Russia Just Fined Google a Paltry $6.8 Million

The Russian Federation Antimonopoly Services, the nation’s antitrust authorities, have have slapped Google with a $6.8 million fine for abusing its dominant position and closing its Android OS to other companies, The New York Times reports.

It’s a trifling sum considering how staggering fines for antitrust violations can be and the billions in revenue Google amasses each year.

Last year a Russian officials began investigating the Silicon Valley giant after Yandex, Russia’s equivalent of Google, complained that it was not given a fair chance to offer its services on Android OS, which is popular in the Russian smartphone market, by pre-loading its applications on devices.

Yandex alleged that Google had instead prioritized its own services in violation of Russian competition laws, according to Engadget, a position that Russian authorities were apparently sympathetic to.

The specific issue at hand is an agreement that Google typically requires Android smartphone manufacturers to sign, requiring that they give prominent placement to Google apps if they want access to Google Play Services, according to Android Police. While Android is open source and free to build upon, not providing Google Play

Google denies favoring its digital services over those of rivals on its Android OS and has informed the press that it will “analyze closely before deciding our next steps.”

Various outlets, including The New York Times, are suggesting that this relatively negligible fine forebodes greater monetary penalties to come. And not just in Russia. Google is currently contending with antitrust woes in Europe, India, and the United States as well.