He was fined by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in October Alphabet Inc unit $161 million to exploit its dominant position in the market for Android, which powers 97% of smartphones in India, a key growth area for the US giant.
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GoogleHowever, Indian is concerned about the decision as the measures given are seen as more comprehensive than the European Commission’s landmark 2018 decision to impose unlawful restrictions on Android mobile device makers. Google has challenged a record $4.3 billion fine in that case.
In India, Google is now set to file a legal challenge in the Supreme Court as the antitrust watchdog’s January 19 deadline to implement changes to its model looms, the first source with direct knowledge said.
A Google spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Supreme Court’s approach comes after Google suffered a blow on Wednesday after a tribunal turned down its request to block an antitrust ruling. The company argued that the implementation of the CCI directions would harm its long-standing business model and consumer interest.
Google is of the view that some of the CCI directions cannot be implemented, and the company has “no other option” but to approach the Supreme Court for relief, the source said.
Google licenses its Android system to smartphone makers, but critics say it imposes restrictions such as mandatory pre-installation of its own apps that are anti-competitive. The company argues that such agreements help keep the operating system free.
The CCI ruled in October that Google’s license for its Play Store “shall not be linked to the requirement to pre-install Google search services, the Chrome browser, YouTube or any other Google application.”
Separately, Google has alleged in its filing that the CCI’s probe unit copied parts of the European 2018 ruling against the US firm, Reuters reported. The CCI and the European Commission have not responded to those allegations.
