Google rejects EU anti-trust charge, says Android promoted competition

US Internet giant Google on Friday rejected EU allegations that it abused the market dominance of its hugely succesful Android mobile phone operating system.

The rapsheet targets one of Google's most sensitive businesses, as smartphones become by far the dominant player over PCs and laptops."Android hasn't hurt competition, it's expanded it," said Kent Walker, senior vice president and general counsel of Google, in a blog.

Google was responding to a long list of charges against Android that Margrethe Vestager, the EU's outspoken competition commissioner, filed in April.They include the claim that the firm used practices such as making manufacturers pre-install its market-leading search engine as well as its Chrome browser as the default in their phones.

"The response we filed on Friday shows how the Android ecosytem carefully balances the interests of users, developers, hardware makers and mobile operators," Walker said.Google's response comes a week after the company rejected separate EU charges over online shopping and its advertising services in a series of rulings against US companies that hasraised hackles across the Atlantic.

The Android charges are seen as especially sensitive for one of Google's most strategic businesses that could alter a global smartphone sector which has taken over traditional PC's as the biggest segment in the world of computing. The case only pertains to Android-run phones, with the European Commission not considering Apple's iPhone as a factor in the case.

The EU in its charge sheet accused Google of obstructing innovation by giving unfair prominence to its own apps, especially its search engine, in deals with giant mobile manufacturers such as South Korea's Samsung or China's Huawei. "No manufacturer is obliged to preload any Google apps onan Android phone," Google insisted.

Google is also accused of restricting manufacturers frominstalling rival versions or modifications of Android, an opensource software operating system, on their phones. The commission, through a spokesman, confirmed thereceipt of Google's official response. "As is standard practice, we will carefully considerGoogle's response before taking any decision on how to proceedand cannot at this stage prejudge the final outcome of theinvestigation," it said.