Google is facing another blow from European Commission-imposed fine

Google is facing another European Commission-imposed fine of billions of euros, this time for tactics that allegedly pressure smartphone vendors to bundle its apps.

Regulators of Europe's digital market have been scrutinizing potential abuses stemming from the internet giant's dominance in the mobile phone operating system market, the newspaper reported.

 It has also been revealed that " said they expect the European Union's antitrust watchdog to hammer Google for its mobile business practices—not just with a fine but also by ordering Google to change tactics that encourage the bundling of apps onto Android-powered phones.

The European Commission will likely conclude that Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, is stifling competitors to protect advertising revenue from mobile devices, according to the sources.

The Commission is concerned Google's efforts to encourage smartphone manufacturers to install Google Search and its Chrome browser on their devices constitutes illicit pressure. Google also pays those companies to pre-install Google apps.

Another area of inquiry is Google's policy of not allowing manufacturers to sell Android if they sell unofficial forks of the mobile operating system.

European regulators could order Google to abandon those practices to level the playing field.

Google has argued the contested practices are there to make it easier for developers to deliver apps that work seamlessly across smartphones. That's within its rights, Google has said, warning of harm to its larger ecosystem if incompatible Android versions become ubiquitous.