<p style="text-align: justify;">Google is facing a huge fine and major disruption to the way it does business, after European officials filed new antitrust charges against the company.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The European Commission said Google was abusing its market position by imposing restrictions on Android device manufacturers and mobile network operators.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Google's &nbsp;Android is the world's dominant mobile operating system. When licensing Android, Google requires smartphone makers to load 11 core Google apps onto the phone before a customer buys it. The apps need to be at least one swipe away from the home screen, and customers cannot delete those apps.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In that "take-it-or-leave-it" approach, Europe says Google has illegally abused its market dominance. Android is particularly popular in Europe, with about 80% of the market for smartphones and tablets, according to the Commission.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">"Based on some investigation, it is believed that Google's behaviour denies consumers a wider choice of mobile apps and services and stands in the way of innovation by other players, in breach of EU antitrust rules," said Margrethe Vestager, the head of competition policy at the European Commission.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The Commission said it believed Google had broken the law by:</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">1. Requiring manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and Google's Chrome browser and requiring them to set Google Search as the default search service.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">2. Preventing manufacturers from selling smartphones running on competing operating systems based on the Android open source code.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">3. Giving financial incentives to manufacturers and mobile network operators on condition that they exclusively pre-install Google Search on their devices.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In response, Google general counsel Kent Walker said the company would "demonstrate that Android is good for competition and good for consumers."</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Preloading apps such as Google search, YouTube, Gmail and Google Maps play a big part of driving traffic and advertising dollars to Google.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Google reveals little about its Android revenue, but the company has noted that mobile makes up a substantial part of its profit - more than half, according to eMarketer.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The European Union could fine Google up to 10% of the company's annual global sales, translating into a $7 billion fine.</p>