The Indian government has penalized Google 13 billion rupees, which is equivalent to $161 million or £144 million, for abusing its Android platform to gain a dominant position in the market.
The nation’s competition regulator has leveled accusations against the tech giant, saying that it has entered into “one-sided agreements” with smartphone manufacturers to ensure that its apps will remain dominant.
It has given Google an order to “cease and desist” from engaging in these kinds of practices.
As of yet, Google has not responded to the fine or the accusations.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) issued a statement on Thursday claiming that Google was “abusing” the licensing of its Android operating system for a variety of smartphones, web searches, browsing, and video hosting services. The statement was made in response to a complaint that the CCI had received from a consumer.
It was said that Google was entering into forced agreements with other players in the space to ensure that its suite of applications, including Google Chrome, YouTube, and Google Maps, were used.
The statement went on to say that this practice stifled competition and provided Google with continuous access to customer data and lucrative advertising opportunities.
Google has announced that they will be investing $10 billion in India.
Google was found guilty of “abuse” related to Android.
The CCI has also requested that Google refrain from compelling device manufacturers to pre-install its applications and that the company instead make it possible for manufacturers and users to install applications of their choosing during the initial setup of a device.
According to the statement, “Markets should be allowed to compete on merits,” and “the onus is on the dominant players” (in this case, Google) to ensure that their behavior does not interfere with this type of competition based on its merits.
A number of anti-trust cases have been filed against Google in India, and the country’s authorities are also investigating the company’s behavior in the smart TV market and its in-app payments system.
In 2019, in response to complaints from users of Android smartphones, an investigation into the Android operating system was initiated.
This case is very similar to one that Google was involved in in Europe, which resulted in the company being fined $5 billion by European regulators for using its Android operating system to gain an unfair advantage in the marketplace.
