India fines Google Rs 936 crore in antitrust probe
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The Competition Commission of India (CCI) fined Google Rs 936 crore on Tuesday for abusing its market position to promote its payments app and in-app payment system.
"The Commission hereby directs Google to cease and desist from indulging in anti-competitive practices," CCI said in a statement. It added Google should not restrict app developers from using any third-party billing or payment processing services, either for in-app purchases or for purchasing apps.
The CCI said the tech giant forced app developers to use its in-app system and noted that in-app digital goods make up an important means for developers to monetise their work. It was recently fined another $162 million for anticompetitive practices related to Android. Google is also facing a separate probe into its business conduct in the Indian smart TV market.
Google hasn't yet responded to the order. About the earlier decision, the company had called it "a major setback for Indian consumers and businesses." The tech firm said it will review the order and decide what the next steps should be.
