Google: Fair trade regulator CCI on Friday ordered a probe into internet-based company Google’s alleged anti-competitive practices in its Play Store pricing policy. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said in this order that the petitioners are primarily aggrieved by the payment policies of the Google-owned app store ‘Google Play Store’. Play Store is accused of violating competition law. The order comes within two weeks of Google removing some apps from the Play Store due to payment related issues. On March 1, Google had removed some apps from its Play Store in India over the dispute over service charge payment. However, after the intervention of the government, these apps were restored within a few days.
A Google spokesperson said that the company is reviewing the CCI order to initiate the investigation.
The spokesperson said, “CCI has already investigated our service charges in detail between 2020 and 2022 and did not find anything against the law. “However, we take seriously our commitment to comply with local laws and regulations in India and will cooperate in this process in every way.”
The companies that have filed an appeal in the Competition Commission include People Interactive India Private Limited, Mebigo Labs Private Limited, Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF) and Indian Digital Media Industry Foundation (IDMIF). It alleges that Google Play Store’s payment policies are affecting multiple stakeholders including app developers, payment completers and users. CCI, in its 21-page order, said that prima facie it appears that Google has violated Section 4 (abuse of dominant position) of the Competition Act and hence an investigation has been ordered into the matter. With language input.
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