Google will address concerns the Korean Fair Trade Commission may have about its Android mobile platform, a company spokeswoman said Tuesday after reports emerged that South Korean government officials had raided Google offices there.
“Android is an open platform, and carrier and OEM partners are free to decide which applications and services to include on their Android phones. We do not require carriers or manufacturers to include Google Search or Google applications on Android-powered devices,” the spokeswoman said via e-mail.
In April, two Korean search engine operators, Daum and NHN, filed a complaint with the KFTC, alleging that Google pressured Android phone manufacturers to block search engines or applications that rival its own.
On Tuesday, news outlets Cnet, Reuters Canada and the Wall Street Journal’s AllThingsD reported from anonymous sources that officials from the KFTC had raided Google offices in South Korea.
The Google spokeswoman declined to comment on the reports of the raid.
