Google has been fined $161.9 million by India’s Competition Commission “for abusing its dominant position in multiple markets” by promoting its own suite of apps within Android, it said on Thursday. the regulator in a press release.
The Competition Commission says Google’s business model is based on getting as many people as possible to use its products and services – data collected from people who use search, Chrome and other Google services can be used to woo advertisers. Additionally, Google makes deals with device makers to pre-install Google apps and services, giving it a “competitive advantage,” according to the Competition Commission.
A cease and desist order issued by the commission against Google seeks to prevent the company from “engaging in anti-competitive practices”. He also said manufacturers shouldn’t be required to pre-install Google apps, Google can’t offer monetary or other incentives for exclusivity, and Google can’t deny access to Play Services APIs.
The commission said it rejected Google’s argument that competitive constraints would make it harder to compete with Apple. Where Apple tries to vertically integrate its products into an ecosystem, Google’s intention is to increase the number of users of revenue-generating services, such as search.
Google said it would not comment on the matter until it receives a formal order from the Competition Commission.
India’s review of Google’s potential anticompetitive practices comes as regulators and lawmakers in the United States, Asia and Europe are also examining the search giant’s dominance. Last month, a European court confirmed a record $4 billion fine about antitrust violations related to Google’s deals with Android makers. South Korea Google fined $177 million last month for forcing manufacturers such as Samsung and LG to sign “anti-fragmentation agreements” banning the use of competing operating systems. Earlier this year, reports began to surface that the US Department of Justice was prepares to sue Google on its dominance in online advertising.
The series of lawsuits follows a trend of greater scrutiny of Big Tech companies and their influence in general, such as Apple, Amazon and Google posted record profits.
Google’s dominance in India is hard to ignore. Android has over 95% market share in India, according to Statista. The country is expected to have 1 billion smartphone users by 2026, according to data from Deloitte. This is probably why Google said it would invest 10 billion dollars in India and invested $4.5 billion in local telecommunications, film and music company Jio Platforms.
