Search engine giant Google on Wednesday issued a statement after being slapped with a second fine of ₹936.44 crore by the Competition Commission of India for ‘abusing’ its dominant position on its Android mobile app store.
“We remain committed to our users and developers and are reviewing the decision to evaluate the next steps”, ANI quoted a Google spokesperson.
“Indian developers have benefited from tech, security, consumer protections & unrivalled choice & flexibility that Android & Google Play provide. By keeping costs low, our model powered India's digital transformation & expanded access for hundreds of millions of Indians”, the spokesperson added.
Besides the fine, the CCI also ordered Google to ‘cease and desist’ from anti-competitive practices after the Big Tech giant was found to be ‘dominant’ in the Indian market for licencable operating systems for smartphones and app stores, Bloomberg stated.
It also asked Google to not restrict app developers from using third-party billing or payment services. The search engine platform has been asked to follow a non-discriminatory policy against other apps which allow payments through a state-backed system called unified payments interface (UPI).
“CCI has also directed Google to modify its conduct within a defined timeline”, the anti-trust body said in a tweet yesterday.
It was the second such fine imposed by the CCI on Google in the past one week. On October 20, the company was fined over ₹1,337 crore for allegedly abusing its dominant position in the multiple markets of the Android mobile device ecosystem.
It was also asked to ‘cease and desist’ from unfair trade practices. Google in a setback had termed the decision a major setback for Indian consumers and businesses, adding it would evaluate next steps.