NEW DELHI: India’s anti-trust watchdog has fined Google more than $160 million after an investigation found the tech giant abusing its dominant position in the local smartphone market.
The California-based company’s Android mobile operating system is by far the dominant player in India, running on 95 percent of all smartphones in the country, according to research agency Counterpoint.
However, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) said the operating system was configured to unlawfully crowd out competitors from YouTube, web browser Chrome and other popular Google apps.
Android had a number of Google apps preloaded on its phones, including the company’s proprietary search engine, “which gave Google’s search services a significant competitive edge over its rivals,” CCI said in a statement late Thursday.
“Markets should be allowed to compete on merit, and the responsibility rests with (Google) that its conduct does not affect that competition on merit,” it added.
The commission fined 13.4 billion rupees ($162 million) and ordered the company to allow Android users to remove pre-installed Google apps.
It also urged Google not to enter into agreements with smartphone manufacturers that would encourage them to only sell Android-based devices or exclusively use their software.
The company said it will review the decision and consider its next steps.
“The CCI’s decision is a major setback for Indian consumers and businesses, it opens up serious security risks for Indians… and increases the cost of mobile devices,” a spokesman said.
Google faced a similar antitrust ruling in the European Union, which found that the company had imposed “unlawful restrictions” on smartphone makers to use its search engine.
Published in Dawn, October 22, 2022