Google May Face Another Blow Soon From CCI In Smart TV Case

After facing two penalties last month, tech giant Google may soon receive another verdict from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in regards to the alleged abuse of market dominance in the smart TV market.

The director general office of Competition Commission of India (CCI) has concluded the investigation and submitted its report, per an ET report.

In June last year, the commission directed an investigation against Google upon finding a prima facie case of abuse of dominance in the smart TV market. The information was filed by two Delhi based individuals.

For companies that have entered into licensing agreements with Google, Google Play Store comes pre-installed in TVs manufactured by them, the informants alleged. However,  Play Store services are not available for televisions manufactured by companies that have not entered any agreements with Google.

“The investigation has dwelt into various allegations made by the informants which essentially revolve around denial of market access to any manufacturer who doesn’t enter a licensing agreement with Google,” a source said as quoted in the report.

In addition, the report will be allowed soon for the adjudication process where Google will be allowed to respond to the allegations.

While Android Compatibility Commitments (ACC) prohibit equipment manufacturers from producing, distributing, or selling any other smart television which is not Android based, the probe has also looked into this aspect.

“The emerging smart TV sector in India is thriving, due in part to Google’s free licensing model, and Android TV competes with numerous well-established TV OSes such as FireOS, Tizen, and WebOS. We are confident that our smart TV licensing practices are in compliance with all applicable competition laws,” a Google spokesperson told ET.

Last month, the CCI fined Google INR 1,337.6 Cr and INR 936 Cr for abusing dominance with its Android operating system and the Play Store.

Moreover, the CCI ordered another probe last month into the tech giant over alleged abuse of dominance in the news aggregator space. in response to a complaint filed by the News Broadcasters and Digital Association (NBDA) against Alphabet, Google LLC, Google India, Google Ireland and Google Asia Pacific.