Google To Challenge CCI Verdict Over Abuse Of Dominance

Google is reportedly working on a strategy that will likely challenge the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) orders that fined the tech giant for abusing its dominance over its Android operating system and the Play Store.

According to an ET report, a senior official from the US-based tech giant’s India office has cited security risks. The person said that CCI’s ruling is very concerning due to the security risks that come with sideloading of apps and giving a freeway to forked versions of Android.

In simple terms, sideloading refers to manually installing apps outside of app stores using executable APK files, and forked versions of Android are made by modifying the original code to create a different version. 

Manufacturers usually go for forked versions of Android due to Google’s licencing norms. It is because of this they face problems such as difficulty in getting updated OS versions, the possibility of downloading fraudulent versions and malware, and complications with ROMs of Android-based devices, among others.

The report quoted sources saying that if CCI enables forked versions of Android to be on market, India’s consumer tech ecosystem would return to the early 2000s. The orthodox method of working with Android would fragment the ecosystem. 

Further, developers will be priced out of building apps for the ecosystem because there will be a lot of different versions they will have to deal with.

The person also stated that such an ecosystem is currently visible in China where various Android forks have fragmented the ecosystem and users have reported multiple vulnerabilities and security issues.

Google Vs CCI: Two Cases Down, Two More To Go

The current development comes after India’s competition watchdog CCI fined Google INR 1,337.6 Cr and INR 936 Cr for abusing its dominance over its Android operating system and the Play Store, respectively.

In the first case, CCI found Google guilty of taking advantage of its position and entering into self-serving contracts with smartphone OEMs for its Android operating system. Thus, CCI imposed a penalty worth 10% of the average revenue of Google in India over the last three years, or INR 1,337.76 Cr.

In the second case, Google was accused of abusing dominance over its Play Store policies, and CCI called it out for charging high commissions (up to 30%), alienating other UPI apps (on Play Store) and pre-instaling Google Pay on devices. This invited a penalty worth 7% of the average revenue of Google in India over the last three years, or INR 936.44 Cr.

Google is facing two more trials in India. CCI is investigating the allegations of creating barriers for firms that want to use, or develop, in-house operating systems for their smart TVs and allegedly abusing its dominant position in the news aggregation space through Google News.