(Bloomberg) -- Corning Inc. faces a European Union antitrust probe amid suspicions it abused its market power to thwart competition to its break-resistant “Gorilla Glass” in smartphone screens.
The European Commission said Wednesday the US company may have distorted competition through exclusive agreements with mobile phone manufacturers. The Brussels-based watchdog said the pacts may have blocked glass industry rivals from making deals with top phone firms.
The EU said its probe targets Corning’s Alkali-aluminosilicate glass — also used in displays on laptops, tablets, and smartwatches — marketed under the Gorilla Glass brand among others.
While officials didn’t name any of the products concerned, Corning’s website says the glass is found in current devices sold by the likes of Samsung Electronics Co., Google, Sony Group Corp. and Lenovo Group.
The company also has a long-standing partnership with iPhone maker Apple Inc.
“It is very frustrating and costly experience to break a mobile phone screen,” EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager said in a statement. “Therefore, strong competition in the production of the cover glass used to protect such devices is crucial to ensure low prices and high-quality glass.”
Corning still has the opportunity to allay the commission’s concerns, but could eventually face hefty penalties of up to 10% of global annual revenue.
A spokesperson for the company said that it remains “committed to compliance with all applicable rules and regulations where it does business.”
Corning shares rose 2.7% at 10:29 a.m. in New York as its peers advanced.
(Updates with Corning comment in sixth paragraph.)
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