Google moves SC against CCI’s antitrust verdict

[ad_1]

The legal challenge comes just days before the January 19 deadline for implementing the CCI order expires

Earlier this month, NCLAT refused to grant interim relief to Google and ordered the company to deposit 10% penalty of INR 1,377 Cr imposed by the CCI

In India, it is also being investigated by the CCI for dominance abuse in the news aggregation space

Google will now challenge the order of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), which has refused any interim relief to the tech giant in the case related to its alleged dominance in the Android device market.

A few days ago, siding with the Competition Commission of India (CCI), the court ordered the company to deposit 10% of the INR 1,377 Cr fine imposed by the competition watchdog.

According to Supreme Court records, the tech major filed an appeal against the court ruling on Jan. 7. A source told Reuters that Google is seeking to suspend the ICC order, while its appeal is being heard in Apex Court.

Interestingly, the legal challenge comes days before the January 19 deadline for implementing the CCI order expires. At the heart of the debate are two consecutive fines imposed by the Competition Commission on Google in October 2022 for its Play Store policies and for abusing its foothold in the Android market.

A fine of INR 1,337.7 Cr was imposed on the tech major in the case of Android devices and a further fine of INR 936 Cr was imposed on Google for its unilateral Play Store policies.

The brawl so far has seen Google claiming that the competition commission plagiarized parts of a similar order from the European Commission on its market dominance. It also called for the cancellation of the CCI order that could disrupt its operations in India.

Meanwhile, CCI has stood firm on its stance, arguing that the US-based tech major has abused its market position to stifle innovation in the Android device space. In its ruling, the competition watchdog said that in many cases the big technology major denied market access to competitors and disincentivised original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

Google is an undisputed leader in the smartphone operating system market and holds more than 90% of the total market share.

As of now, Google is facing a flurry of similar cases around the world, including in the European Union, where it’s being scanned by authorities for anti-competitive practices. In India, it is also being investigated by the CCI for dominance abuse in the news aggregation space.

[ad_2]