According to media reports, EU Court Advocate General Laila Medina stated that Google's refusal to allow an electric vehicle app developed by Enel to access its Android Auto platform may violate competition rules, supporting the view of the Italian antitrust authority.
In 2021, Italy's antitrust regulator fined Google €102 million (equivalent to $113.2 million) for blocking Enel's JuicePass software from Android Auto. JuicePass allows drivers to use map navigation and send messages through the car's dashboard while driving.
Medina remarked, "Google's refusal to grant third-party access to the Android Auto platform could violate competition rules."
She further explained that if a company's actions exclude, obstruct, or delay third-party apps from accessing its platform, the company may be abusing its dominant position, provided that such actions result in anti-competitive effects that harm consumer interests and are not objectively justified.
Google had previously refused to make JuicePass compatible with Android Auto, citing security concerns and the lack of a specific template, and subsequently appealed to the Italian Council of State.
A Google spokesperson said, "We acknowledge the Advocate General's opinion and await the court's final ruling. Since the case began, we have been working to add the templates requested by Enel, and currently, many similar applications are available on Android Auto globally."
The EU court judges are expected to make a ruling in the coming months, and they typically adopt the majority of such non-binding opinions.
