South Korea’s antitrust regulator to take action against Google over YouTube Music bundling – India TV

South Korea’s antitrust regulator is set to take action against Google over allegations that the tech giant unfairly bundled its YouTube Music service with its YouTube Premium subscription program. Google has been accused of violating fair trading laws by offering its YouTube Music streaming service at no additional cost to users of its ad-free YouTube Premium, officials said, raising concerns about unfair competition practices.

The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has been investigating these claims since February of last year, conducting an on-site investigation to determine whether Google’s bundling strategy violates fair trade laws. This investigation examines whether Google exploited its dominant market position by offering YouTube Music as part of the YouTube Premium package at no additional cost.

Following an extensive investigation, the FTC recently issued a review report recommending punitive measures against Google. The report will be reviewed before a final decision is made at an upcoming plenary session, Yonhap News Agency reported. Officials noted that the investigation aims to assess whether Google’s actions have stifled fair competition in the streaming services market by exploiting its dominant position.

Some have noted that bundling helped grow YouTube’s subscriber base, but in the long run it limited consumer choice and unfairly disadvantaged other music streaming services.

“We are working to complete the investigation and other necessary procedures in July and make a final decision within several weeks,” an FTC official said.

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Input from IANS