Google will have to pay a $160 million fine in a case involving Android’s monopoly on the market. The fine was imposed by India’s antitrust regulator and has been upheld by an Indian appeals court.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) conclusions were accurate, according to the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), and Google was required to pay the fine. However, it overturned four of the company’s ten competition orders.
Android is used by more than 95% of devices in India.
The CCI assessed the punishment for “unfair” business practices in October, accusing Google of abusing its dominant position. Additionally, it requested that Google alter the Android environment in a number of ways. This included letting users select their default search and not requiring manufacturers to pre-install the complete Google app suite.
2019 saw the launch of the Android-related investigation in response to customer complaints about Android smartphones. The case was comparable to the one Google faced in Europe, where authorities fined the company $5 billion for using its Android operating system to obtain an unfair competitive advantage.
In India’s Supreme Court, Google argued that “no other jurisdiction has ever requested such far-reaching changes.” Google also contested the fine and the orders. The top court, however, declined to overturn the CCI orders and stated that the appeal could still be heard by a lesser court.
The business would have to change its agreements with more than 1,100 device manufacturers and thousands of app developers, the argument went.
Google revealed a number of modifications to its Android operating system in India in January along with its agreement to work with the watchdog.
The tech behemoth can now prevent users from removing its pre-installed apps from their phones after NCLAT’s decision. Additionally, Google is free to continue putting restrictions on users who download applications outside of its Play Store and to ban third-party app stores altogether.
