Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has announced that it will challenge the Indian antitrust watchdog’s decision ordering the tech giant to modify its Android platform strategy and imposing a punishment of $162 million for anti-competitive actions.
According to the Competition Commission of India (CCI), Google used its hegemonic status in areas like online search and the Android app store to defend the positions of its programmes like Chrome and YouTube in mobile web browsers and online video hosting.
“We have decided to appeal the CCI’s decision on Android as we believe it presents a major setback for our Indian users and businesses who trust Android’s security features, and potentially raising the cost of mobile devices,” a Google spokesperson said on Friday.
Reuters has already stated that Google was concerned about the CCI verdict and was looking for more extensive corrective action. Approximately 97% of the 600 million devices in India run Android, according to estimates from Counterpoint Research.
“Android has greatly benefitted Indian users, developers, and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), and powered India’s digital transformation. We look forward to making our case and remain committed to our users and partners,” Google said.
Google has been under growing international scrutiny for its antitrust practises, and this year saw a significant setback when a European court upheld a 2018 verdict that said the company had placed “unlawful limitations on producers of Android mobile devices.”
Google intends to appeal that judgement as well, as well as the record-breaking $4.1 billion penalties. The company has additionally drawn criticism for licensing the Android operating system to smartphone makers while also negotiating stifling anti-competitive contracts. The American tech behemoth claims that Android offers increased choice for all users and that these agreements serve to maintain the operating system’s open source nature.
