The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed a provisional penalty of Rs 1,337.76 Crore on Google for abusing its dominant position in multiple categories related to the Android mobile device ecosystem in the country.
The CCI also issued cease and desist directions to the tech giant on a number of its business practices. The CCI also said that Google will have to allow users to choose their default search engine during the initial device setup.
It asked Google not to restrict the ability of app developers to distribute their apps outside Google’s Play Store. The CCI also ordered Google not to offer any incentives to smartphone makers for exclusively carrying its search services.
In April 2019, the regulator had ordered a detailed probe following complaints by users of Android-based smartphones in the country. Google’s Android is an open-source, mobile operating system installed by OEMs of smartphones and tablets. At the centre of the case are various agreements Google enters into with mobile manufacturers for using Android. The terms and conditions of these impose restrictions on the mobile companies, forcing them to exclude the services being offered by Google’s rivals.
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