Google is planning a legal challenge to block a decision by India’s antitrust watchdog to change its approach to its Android operating system, worried it would restrict the way it promotes the platform, in direct view of the situation. Sources with knowledge told Reuters.
Alphabet The unit has been fined $275 million (about Rs 2,300 crore) since last week in two Indian antitrust decisions – one for its policies of charging in-app commissions and the other for abusing its position in the market. Android Operating System.
come as a verdict Google Faces increased antitrust investigations around the world. Last month, it suffered a major setback when a European court upheld a 2018 ruling saying it was largely upholding a ruling that the company had imposed “unlawful restrictions on makers of Android mobile devices”. Google plans to appeal the decision, where it will face a record fine of $4.1 billion (about Rs 33,800 crore).
Competition Commission of IndiaDespite the (CCI) Android ruling involving a small fine of $162 million (about Rs 1,300 crore), Google is concerned as it seeks comprehensive remedial measures, three sources familiar with the company’s thinking said.
One of the sources said Google was concerned that the CCI’s decision could lead to increased regulatory pressure in other jurisdictions and that a legal appeal to block the implementation of the antitrust directive was being planned within weeks.
Google declined to comment on its legal plans, reiterating its statement from last week that the CCI order was “a major blow to Indian consumers and businesses, opening up serious security risks … and mobile devices to Indians.” was increasing the cost of
In his arguments before the CCI, Google’s lead counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi tweeted on Wednesday that the “inherent and patent deficiencies” in the order make a challenge inevitable and likely to succeed.
Google has faced criticism globally that it licenses its Android operating system to smartphone players but signs restrictive agreements that are anti-competitive. The US firm says Android has created more options for everyone and that such compromises help keep the operating system free.
For example, in the case of the European Commission, in 2018 its antitrust authority ruled that Google abused its dominant position by forcing manufacturers to pre-install two of its apps – Google search And its chrome browser – with google play store on Android devices.
One of the sources said, the Indian order is concerning as it goes ahead and bans a wide range of Google apps – “the license of the Play Store … will not be linked to the need to pre-install” Google search services. chrome browser, youtube, Google Map, Gmail or any other application of Google,” the CCI noted.
Indian research firm Tekark founder Faisal Kavosa said such pre-installation restrictions could force Google to think of different revenue models such as charging device makers a license fee for Android in India, as He did it in Europe.
“The CCI directive strikes at the heart of Google’s revenue model for Android — which relies on a volume game where the user base is large, there are multiple avenues of monetization,” Kavosa said.
In Europe, 75 percent of the 550 million Smartphones Counterpoint Research estimates that 97 percent of the 600 million devices in India run on Android.
Google is also concerned that the CCI has ordered no restrictions on so-called “sideloading” in India, the practice of downloading apps without using the App Store, and allowing other app stores to be available within its Play Store. To give permission, two sources said.
However, these are expected to lift the prospects of domestic rivals, such as Indus App Bazaar, which offers thousands of apps in English and local languages. “The order will lead to more choice and innovation for Indian developers,” Indus said this week.
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