In a landmark order, India joins EU and other nations that want the internet search giant to stop abusing its market dominance
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on October 20 concluded that Google’s practices in the market were anti-competitive, after a three-and-half-year probe. And in a landmark decision, the CCI imposed a fine on the internet search giant.
India’s top competition authority also laid out several measures that Alphabet Inc’s Google needs to implement in a time-bound manner, according to a statement. The CCI said it “has imposed a penalty of Rs1,337.76 crore on Google for abusing its dominant position in multiple markets in the Android mobile device ecosystem, apart from issuing a cease-and-desist order”.
The decision spotlights the much wider dominance of big-tech companies, including Apple and Facebook’s parent Meta, around the world, outside China. India is one of the biggest markets for Meta’s WhatsApp instant messaging platform, for example, for which users seek alternatives after Meta announced changes to privacy rules. The CCI is still probing Google with respect to smart televisions and its in-app payments system.