The tech giant will pay a million-dollar fine for monopolistic behavior.

The Alphabet-owned internet giant is having a rough time in Australia. Last week, a court ruled largely against it in a lawsuit brought by "Fortnite" creator Epic Games, accusing Google and Apple of blocking rival app stores on their operating systems .

Last month, Google's YouTube was also added to Australia's ban on allowing users under 16 on social media platforms, reversing an earlier decision to exempt the video-sharing site from the ban.

Google fined for anti-competitive activities

In connection with anti-competitive ties with Australian telecommunications operators, the local consumer protection authority said on Monday that Google entered into agreements with Telstra and Optus under which the tech giant shared with them advertising revenue generated by Google Search on Android devices between late 2019 and early 2021.

Google owns Android.

Google admitted the deal had a significant impact on competition from other search engines and stopped signing similar deals while agreeing to a monetary penalty, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) added.

The verdict is to create choices for users.

“The verdict has created the opportunity for millions of Australians to have greater choice of search engines in the future, and for rival search engines to gain significant reach among Australian consumers,” said ACCC Chair Gina-Cass Gottlieb.

Google and the ACCC have jointly filed an application in the Federal Court seeking a fine of AUD 55 million.

The court has yet to decide whether the penalty is appropriate, but the cooperation between the regulator and Google helped avoid a lengthy legal process . A company spokesman said the company was pleased to address the ACCC's concerns about "provisions that have been absent from our commercial agreements for some time."

"We are committed to giving Android device manufacturers greater flexibility in pre-installing browsers and search engines, while preserving the offerings and features that help them innovate, compete with Apple, and keep costs low," the spokesperson added.

A Telstra spokesman cited an earlier statement in which Telstra and Optus, owned by Singapore Telecommunications, fully cooperated with the ACCC and promised not to sign agreements with Google to pre-install its search engine from 2024.