Seoul, May 22 || Google may launch a cheaper version of YouTube Premium without its music streaming component in South Korea in a move aimed at addressing concerns over alleged anti-competitive practices, the country's antitrust watchdog said on Thursday.
The self-proposed measure is part of negotiations between the U.S. tech giant and the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), which has been investigating Google over suspicions that it violated fair trade rules by bundling YouTube Music to its premium subscription service.
In July last year, the FTC issued a report equivalent to a formal prosecution complaint, accusing Google Korea of unfairly bundling YouTube Music with YouTube Premium, thereby restricting consumer choice and abusing its market dominance, reports news agency.
The regulator claims Google's practice effectively forced consumers to subscribe to both services, limiting options for those who may have only wanted access to ad-free video streaming.
Rather than pursuing a prolonged legal battle, Google has submitted a corrective action plan under the FTC's procedure known as a "consent decision." The mechanism allows the FTC to suspend its investigation if the company voluntarily proposes measures that address the alleged consumer harm.