Google (Alphabet Inc., USA) has agreed to a set of legally binding commitments with Germany’s Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) to dismantle various competitive restrictions within its Google Automotive Services (GAS) and Google Maps Platform.
The commitments are expected to have wide-reaching effects across the European and global markets.
Andreas Mundt, President of the Federal Cartel Office, welcomed the resolution:
“I am pleased that we were able to reach an agreement with Google and thus achieve immediate positive effects for the affected economic sectors. Google’s commitments have the potential to bring about far-reaching changes in the market. By lifting the existing restrictions, we are strengthening customer choice and opening up new opportunities for Google’s competitors.”
Google Automotive Services: Unbundling and Enhanced Interoperability
Google Automotive Services—which bundles Google Maps, Google Play, and Google Assistant for in-vehicle infotainment systems—has become increasingly influential as digital vehicle functionalities expand. Until now, these services were only available as a package, with no option for vehicle manufacturers to license individual components.
Under the new commitments, Google will allow car manufacturers to license services included in GAS individually. The company will also eliminate restrictive contractual clauses that previously incentivized the exclusive use of its services through mechanisms such as revenue-sharing models and default settings. Importantly, Google has pledged to enable interoperability with third-party service providers, thereby fostering a more open and competitive environment in the automotive digital ecosystem.
“In the future, vehicle manufacturers will be able to freely choose between services from different providers and combine them according to customer needs,” said Mundt. “This opens up new opportunities for alternative providers to collaborate with automakers in developing innovative in-vehicle infotainment solutions.”
Google Maps Platform: Increased Flexibility for Business Users
The commitments also address Google’s dominance in the B2B market for map services, which serve logistics companies, delivery services, and transportation sectors. Google Maps Platform has held a unique position, particularly in offering detailed points of interest and search functionality—largely due to its extensive consumer reach.
Previously, users faced significant limitations when attempting to integrate Google Maps with third-party mapping services. These restrictions have now been lifted. Businesses can combine Google Maps functionalities with competing services such as HERE, Mapbox, TomTom, or OpenStreetMap, providing greater flexibility and potential cost savings.
Mundt emphasized the significance of these changes:
“Users will now be able to integrate the best or most cost-effective services into their applications and develop their own alternatives.”
Vehicle manufacturers will also benefit from these changes, as they can now integrate individual Google Maps services into infotainment systems alongside their own solutions or third-party offerings.
Commitments with Cross-Border Impact
Although the Federal Cartel Office’s decisions are formally limited to Germany, their implications extend well beyond national borders. For Automotive Services, the commitments apply to vehicles registered in Germany—but due to the harmonized nature of vehicle registration standards across the EU, the measures effectively apply across the entire European market. Furthermore, because of international development practices in the automotive industry, infotainment systems in vehicles outside Europe may also be indirectly affected.
Regarding the Google Maps Platform, the changes will apply to all licensees with billing addresses in the European Economic Area (EEA), further extending the reach of the commitments.
Enforcement Under New Digital Regulation Framework
The proceedings were conducted under the Federal Cartel Office’s enhanced powers provided by Section 19a of the German Act against Restraints of Competition (GWB). These provisions, introduced to regulate digital giants more effectively, allow the authority to intervene against anti-competitive practices by companies with paramount cross-market significance.
The Federal Cartel Office had previously determined on December 30, 2021, that Alphabet Inc. holds such a status. Since the enactment of Section 19a, the regulator has pursued similar actions against other major digital firms, including Amazon, Apple, Meta (Facebook), and Microsoft.
With today’s decisions, the Federal Cartel Office has formally concluded its proceedings against Google, establishing a precedent for future regulation in the rapidly evolving digital services market.
