$177M FINE FOR GOOGLE

A South Korean antitrust regulator on Tuesday issued a $176.64 million fine against Google, accusing the American tech company of abusing its market dominance.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) issued the fine against Google on Tuesday, arguing that its contract terms with device makers was abuse of its market dominance, The Associated Press reported. The KFTC said this fine may be the ninth-largest it has ever issued.

KFTC Chairwoman Joh Sung-wook said Google has tamped down competition for the past decade by forcing electronic partners to sign “anti-fragmentation” agreements that prevent them from installing modified versions of Google’s operating system.