This article is more than 1 year old

Brussels paws Android map apps to see if they displace Euro rivals – report

Hey, Alphabet! How do you get from A to B?

The European Commission has reportedly widened the scope of its investigation into Google's alleged anti-competitive Android operating system tactics in the 28-member-state bloc.

According to Bloomberg, officials at the antitrust wing of the European Commission have fired off missives to companies seeking their views on whether Google Maps has superseded navigation services, such as TomTom and Nokia Oyj's HERE product.

Google and the EC competition chief Margrethe Vestager's office both declined to comment on this story when approached by The Register.

Last month, Vestager warned Google's freshly unzipped parent company Alphabet that it could face more competition charges in Brussels.

At the time, she told the Wall Street Journal that the Android case was "a different creature" to the lengthy probe into Google's search business, in part because consumers don't stop and think about the operating system powering their devices.

"But those who produce phones or sell phones or develop applications, they are very preoccupied with the operating system. So we give that a high priority," she said.

Back in 2013, UK-based Streetmap – in a separate complaint – launched a sueball at the ad giant, complaining to the High Court that its website had been popular in Blighty prior to what it alleged to be Google's "anti-competitive conduct".

Streetmap had previously claimed innovation was stifled by Google's alleged tactics, pushing its service down the search rankings and making it difficult for the firm to deal with its suppliers.

That case is currently being heard in London's High Court. ®

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