Google wants to take action against an order by the Indian competition authority, which imposed a fine of millions on the group. The company therefore wants to lodge a complaint with an Indian court, said a Google spokesman for the German Press Agency on Friday. The competition watchdog’s decision is a major step backwards for Indian users and businesses who trust Android’s security features and could potentially drive up the cost of mobile devices, Google said.
The competition authorities fined the company 13.37 billion rupees (165 million euros) in October. The Competition Commission accused Google of abusing the dominant role of its Android operating system to boost its core online search business. It was said that with the pre-installed Google apps, Android users would be encouraged to use Google search. The Competition Commission instructed Google to make changes – including the ability to uninstall Google apps.
A few days later, the Competition Commission also imposed a fine of 9.36 billion rupees (115 million euros) on the company. She accused the company of abusing the Playstore’s dominant role by forcing developers to use Google’s payment system for app and in-app purchases.
India, which will soon officially be the most populous country in the world, is an interesting growth market for Google and other Silicon Valley companies. Android phones are very popular in India. (dpa)