Google Fined $162 Million For Favoring Its Own Apps On Android
India's Competition Commission has fined Google $161.9 million for "abusing its dominant position in various markets" in favor of its Android application suite, the Competition Authority of India said in a press release on Tuesday.
The panel said Google's business model is based on getting as many people as possible to use its products and services, because data collected from users of Search, Chrome and other Google services can be used to target advertisers. In addition, Google has signed agreements with device manufacturers to pre-install apps and services, giving it a "competitive advantage," according to the commission.
The Commission's cease-and-desist order seeks to prevent Google from "engaging in anti-competitive practices." He also said that manufacturers will not be required to pre-install Google apps, that Google will not be able to offer financial or other exclusive incentives, and that Google will not be able to deny access to APIs from Play Services.
The commission said it rejected Google's argument that the anti-competitive restrictions would make it harder for Apple to challenge them. While Apple is trying to vertically integrate its products into a single ecosystem, Google is trying to increase users of revenue-generating services like search.
Google described the decision as a "huge shock" to users.
"Android has created more choices for everyone and supported thousands of successful businesses in India and around the world," a Google spokesperson said in a statement. The CCI decision is a serious blow to Indian consumers and businesses, has created serious security risks for Indians who rely on Android's security features, and has increased the price of Indian mobile devices. . We will review the decision to evaluate the next steps."
Google is under scrutiny for possible anti-competitive practices in India, while regulators and lawmakers in the US, Asia and Europe are also monitoring the search giant's dominance. Last month, a European court upheld a record $4 billion fine for antitrust violations related to Google's agreements with Android manufacturers . South Korea fined Google $177 million last month after manufacturers including Samsung and LG signed "anti-retail agreements" that prevent the use of rival operating systems. Earlier this year, reports began to emerge that the US Department of Justice was preparing to sue Google over its dominance of online advertising.
With Apple , Amazon and Google posting record profits, the series of lawsuits follows a trend of increasing control of big tech companies and their influence in general.
Google's dominance in India is hard to ignore. According to Statista, Android has more than 95% market share in India According to data from Deloitte, the number of smartphone users in the country is expected to reach one billion by 2026. It is not. Google is investing $10 billion in India , including $4.5 billion in Jio Platforms, an India-based communications, film and music company.
