Google may be fined by CCI again; Now for Android TV

Google may be facing a third fine by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) over its alleged abuse of market dominance in the smart TV market, reported The Economic Times. According to the report, the competition watchdog’s director general office has submitted the investigation report.

CCI had ordered an investigation on the alleged market dominance by Google's smart television operating system Android TV in June last year. This investigation began after a complaint was filed by lawyers of two trusts, and has come across prima facie evidence.

According to the reports the allegations made by the informants essentially revolve around denial of market access to any manufacturer who doesn't enter a licensing agreement with the tech giant.

The report will soon be taken for an adjudication process where Google will be allowed to respond to the allegations.

What is the case against Google?

If any television manufacturers wish to use the tech giant's platform then they need to sign a licensing agreement with the company which has terms that are prohibitive for equipment manufacturers. According to the informants, the TV manufacturers that have signed licensing agreements have Google Play Store pre-installed but if the manufacturers don’t sign the agreement then Play Store services are not available on their devices.

The CCI also looked into the claim that because of the so-called Android Compatibility Commitments (ACC) TV makers are barred from producing, distributing or selling any other smart television which is not Android based.

Read more: Google announces AI model supporting 1,000 global languages

A Google spokesperson told the Economic Times, that the emerging smart TV sector in India is thriving and Google is in compliance with all applicable competition laws.

In addition to this, there is another probe against Google filed by news publishers against Google's search engine and advertising policies.

Published on: Monday, November 07, 2022, 01:45 PM IST