The Competition Commission Takes on Google

The emergence and growth of the big-tech companies like Google (Alphabet), Facebook (Meta), Apple and Amazon have polarised opinions the world over. While one side cele­brates their innovative products and services, the other criticises them for lack of transparency and anticompetitive behaviour. These fears are especially understandable in countries like India where big-tech companies have made huge inroads; even its capacity to regulate them does not match with the advanced economies. Moreover, finding the right policy path and regulating big tech in a rapidly evolving landscape is no easy task.

It is in this context that the two orders passed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) against the anticompetitive practices of Google in October this year gain significance. While the first order imposed a penalty of `1,338 crore for violation of competitive practices in multiple markets in the android mobile phone ecosystem, the second one imposed a penalty of `936 crore on Google for abusing its dominant position for selling products through Play Store, its digital distribution service.