GOOGLE TO FACE ABUSE OF DOMINANCE ON SMART TV

GOOGLE TO FACE ABUSE OF DOMINANCE on SMART TV

This is the first time Google has faced a case for dominance with AndroidTV in India.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is currently investigating a complaint against the giant Search Engine Company, Google that it has abused its dominant market position in smart television operating system (OS).

The following case is Google's fourth major antitrust dispute in India. Since June the CCI has been looking into matters and dealing with the allegations that Google has continuously engaged in anti-competitive practices by creating barriers or firms wanting to use or develop modified versions of Android for smart TVs, such as Amazon Fire TV's operating system. The agreements so entered, prohibits from manufacturing any other device whether it is televisions, phones, etc., on any forked version of Android (forked Android here means OS based on Android).

The present case has been filled by two Indian antitrust lawyers, namely Advocate Kshitiz Arya and Advocate Purushottam Anand. They both confirmed the case filing against Google for alleged abuse in the smart television market.

The Competition Commission watchdog is closely investigating Google in two other previously filed cases—one involving dominance in smartphones, while the other is for using its market position to promote Google Pay over other apps. CCI had imposed a fine worth ₹1.36 billion on the company in 2018 for abusing its dominance with Google Search, however the company appeal is pending.