Google and India - Revision history

Jyoti: /* Competition Commission of India and Google */

2024-03-05T21:05:00Z

‎Competition Commission of India and Google

Jyoti: /* 2022/II */

2023-02-01T19:11:24Z

‎2022/II

Jyoti: /* 2022: CCI fines Google Rs.1,300 crore */

2022-11-12T10:42:48Z

‎2022: CCI fines Google Rs.1,300 crore

Jyoti: /* 2022: Cs I find Google Rs.1,300 crore */

2022-11-01T19:32:10Z

‎2022: Cs I find Google Rs.1,300 crore

Jyoti: /* Competition Commission of India and Google */

2022-11-01T19:29:08Z

‎Competition Commission of India and Google

Jyoti: /* Competition Commission of India and Google */

2021-09-20T02:45:15Z

‎Competition Commission of India and Google

Pdewan: /* Court/ tribunal rulings */

2021-09-18T16:16:28Z

‎Court/ tribunal rulings

Jyoti: /* Innovation */

2021-06-25T09:25:39Z

‎Innovation

Jyoti at 13:05, 3 March 2021

2021-03-03T13:05:21Z

Jyoti at 12:52, 21 January 2021

2021-01-21T12:52:51Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:05, 5 March 2024
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	“For example, why is Google not allowing users to uninstall Google Maps and its other apps? Google allows users to uninstall all other apps. Similarly, why is Google not allowing other app stores to be distributed through Google Play Store despite CCI’s directives to do so?” Verma said.		“For example, why is Google not allowing users to uninstall Google Maps and its other apps? Google allows users to uninstall all other apps. Similarly, why is Google not allowing other app stores to be distributed through Google Play Store despite CCI’s directives to do so?” Verma said.
		+
		+	=Controversies=
		+	==2024/ Google removes reinstates Indian apps==
		+	[https://epaper.indiatimes.com/article-share?article=03_03_2024_010_008_cap_TOI Pankaj Doval, March 3, 2024: ''The Times of India'']
		+
		+	New Delhi : Google started reinstating some of the Indian apps that it had de-listed from its Play Store over payment issues after intervention by Union communications & IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw who said that “this cannot be permitted” as he asked the disputing parties to come and meet the govt on the matter.
		+
		+	As some of the top start-up founders came out strongly against Google’s move to delist the apps from Play Store, the govt swung into action with Vaishnaw expressing concern over the issue. “India is very clear, our policy is very clear... our startups will get the protection that they need.”
		+
		+	The minister said the government will be meeting Google and app developers who have been delisted, next week, to resolve the dispute. “I have already called Google... I have already called the app developers who have been delisted, we will be meeting them next week. This cannot be permitted… This kind of delisting cannot be permitted,” Vaishnaw said as reports soon started coming in of some of the apps being allowed again.
		+
		+	Sources say that some of the companies are mulling legal action and may approach fairplay regulator CCI with charges of abuse of dominance against Google, something where the tech giant has already been penalised last year.
		+
		+	After the minister’s comments went public, reports emerged that apps like Info Edge’s Naukri, 99acres and Shiksha, as well as shaadi.com, had been reinstated by Google in the Play Store.
		+
		+	However, a new controversy seems to have come up as Anupam Mittal, the founder of People Group that runs ‘shaadi.com’ said that Google had allowed re-listing on Play Store but without permitting the in-app billing, which was the source of the dispute. Responding to a tweet of Info Edge’s Sanjeev Bhikchandani that their apps had been allowed back, Mittal said on microblogging platform X, “Pls clarify that u are back up as consumption apps only i.e. without any in-app billing which will destroy the consumer side of the business in the longer-term. Otherwise this tweet will be interpreted as everything is back to status quo, which is NOT true (sic).”
		+
		+	On March 1, Google said that ten companies, including “many well-established” ones had avoided paying fees despite benefiting from the platform & Play Store, and proceeded to delist some apps. It didn’t name firms but a search of Play Store did not give results for apps such as Shaadi, Matrimony.com and Bharat Matrimony. Balaji Telefilms’ Altt, audio platform Kuku FM, dating service Quack Quack disappeared from Play Store.
		+
		+	The dispute of the tech giant with the companies is over Google imposing a fee of 11-26% on in-app payments after CCI ordered scrapping of an earlier system of charging 15-30%.

	[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources\|G GOOGLE AND INDIAGOOGLE AND INDIA		[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources\|G GOOGLE AND INDIAGOOGLE AND INDIA

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:11, 1 February 2023
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	Fair play regulator CCI slapped a Rs 936 crore penalty on tech giant Google for abusing monopoly through its app aggregator Play Store, reports Pankaj Doval. The fine comes within a week of the company being ordered to pay Rs 1,338 crore for following anti-competitive practices in relation to Android mobile devices. In its latest order, CCI asked Google to “cease and desist” from practising policies that supposedly give it powers to abuse its dominant position in running Play Store. “… practices followed by Google result in leveraging its dominance in market for licensable mobile OS and app stores for Android OS, to protect its position in the downstream markets,” the CCI said.		Fair play regulator CCI slapped a Rs 936 crore penalty on tech giant Google for abusing monopoly through its app aggregator Play Store, reports Pankaj Doval. The fine comes within a week of the company being ordered to pay Rs 1,338 crore for following anti-competitive practices in relation to Android mobile devices. In its latest order, CCI asked Google to “cease and desist” from practising policies that supposedly give it powers to abuse its dominant position in running Play Store. “… practices followed by Google result in leveraging its dominance in market for licensable mobile OS and app stores for Android OS, to protect its position in the downstream markets,” the CCI said.
		+
		+
		+	==2023: India app store policy changed after CCI order==
		+	[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/article-share?article=26_01_2023_025_011_cap_TOI Pankaj Doval, January 26, 2023: ''The Times of India'']
		+
		+
		+	New Delhi : Google has started to make changes to its policy dealing with apps and digital ecosystem, after failed to get any immediate relief from the courts against the CCI order, which found it abusing dominance and engaging in anticompetitive practices in India.
		+
		+	Now, the US tech giant will allow smartphone makers to license its apps individually, instead of the entire bouquet. It will also allow users to choose a default search engine, instead of only Google search. The move is being seen as a massive climbdown by Google, though a section of competing Indian app makers such as MapmyIndia are still demanding more clarity.
		+
		+	Google was slapped with a fine of Rs 1,338 crore for abusing dominance through its ubiquitous Android operating system, while being asked to cough up another Rs 936 crore in a case related to its Play Store policies. It is now making the changes after it failed to get any reprieve from the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) and the Supreme Court.
		+
		+	“We take our commitment to comply with local laws and regulations in India seriously. The CCI’s recent directives for Android and Play require us to make significant changes for India, and today we’ve informed the CCI of how we will be complying with their directives,” Google said.  “OEMs (such as smartphone manufacturers) will be able to license individual Google apps for pre-installation on their devices,” it said, giving relief to a clause that generally mandated companies to opt for the entire suite of Google’s services.
		+
		+	In a decision that will give more choice to consumers to explore competing apps on the Android Play Store, it said users will be able to customise their devices to suit their preferences. “Indian users will now have the option to choose their default search engine via a choice screen that will soon start to appear when a user sets up a newAndroid smartphone or tablet in India. ”
		+
		+	It also said that user choice billing will be available to all apps and games starting next month. “Through user choice billing, developers can offer users the option to choose an alternative billing system alongside Google Play’s billing system, when purchasing inapp digital content. ”
		+
		+	Google also said it’s updating the Android compatibility requirements to introduce changes for partners to build non-compatible or forked variants.
		+
		+	However, Indian rivals demanded more. “It is unfortunate that rather than comply fully in letter, in spirit, and in time, with orders of the apex court of India, Google is still attempting to dilute and delay the outcome of the CCI investigation and directives,” Rohan Verma, CEO of MapmyIndia, which has a competing product to Google Maps app, told TOI.
		+
		+	“For example, why is Google not allowing users to uninstall Google Maps and its other apps? Google allows users to uninstall all other apps. Similarly, why is Google not allowing other app stores to be distributed through Google Play Store despite CCI’s directives to do so?” Verma said.

	[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources\|G GOOGLE AND INDIAGOOGLE AND INDIA		[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources\|G GOOGLE AND INDIAGOOGLE AND INDIA

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 When contacted, a spokesperson for Google did not comment on the development.
-[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources|G GOOGLE AND INDIAGOOGLE AND INDIA
+==2022/II==
-GOOGLE AND INDIA]]
+[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/article-share?article=26_10_2022_001_011_cap_TOI  Oct 26, 2022: ''The Times of India'']
-[[Category:India|G GOOGLE AND INDIAGOOGLE AND INDIA
-GOOGLE AND INDIA]]
+Fair play regulator CCI slapped a Rs 936 crore penalty on tech giant Google for abusing monopoly through its app aggregator Play Store, reports Pankaj Doval. The fine comes within a week of the company being ordered to pay Rs 1,338 crore for following anti-competitive practices in relation to Android mobile devices. In its latest order, CCI asked Google to “cease and desist” from practising policies that supposedly give it powers to abuse its dominant position in running Play Store. “… practices followed by Google result in leveraging its dominance in market for licensable mobile OS and app stores for Android OS, to protect its position in the downstream markets,” the CCI said.
-[[Category:Pages with broken file links|GOOGLE AND INDIA
-GOOGLE AND INDIA]]
 [[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources|G GOOGLE AND INDIAGOOGLE AND INDIA

@@ Line 108: / Line 108: @@
 With Google controlling nearly all of the smart mobile market in India, this helps it dominate the search market as it gets access to swathes of user data that makes its results sharper, the report said. It said Google has acquired and maintained its mobile search dominant position in part through anticompetitive means.
-==2022: Cs I find Google Rs.1,300 crore==
+==2022: CCI fines Google Rs.1,300 crore==
 [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/cci-fines-google-rs-1338-crore-for-unfair-practices/articleshow/94997880.cms  Pankaj Doval, TNN, Oct 21, 2022: ''The Times of India'']
 [[File: What CCI says, 2022.jpg|What CCI says, 2022 <br/> From: [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/cci-fines-google-rs-1338-crore-for-unfair-practices/articleshow/94997880.cms  Pankaj Doval, TNN, Oct 21, 2022: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
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 When contacted, a spokesperson for Google did not comment on the development.
 [[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources|G GOOGLE AND INDIAGOOGLE AND INDIA

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:29, 1 November 2022
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	With Google controlling nearly all of the smart mobile market in India, this helps it dominate the search market as it gets access to swathes of user data that makes its results sharper, the report said. It said Google has acquired and maintained its mobile search dominant position in part through anticompetitive means.		With Google controlling nearly all of the smart mobile market in India, this helps it dominate the search market as it gets access to swathes of user data that makes its results sharper, the report said. It said Google has acquired and maintained its mobile search dominant position in part through anticompetitive means.
		+
		+	==2022: Cs I find Google Rs.1,300 crore==
		+	[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/cci-fines-google-rs-1338-crore-for-unfair-practices/articleshow/94997880.cms Pankaj Doval, TNN, Oct 21, 2022: ''The Times of India'']
		+	[[File: What CCI says, 2022.jpg\|What CCI says, 2022 <br/> From: [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/cci-fines-google-rs-1338-crore-for-unfair-practices/articleshow/94997880.cms Pankaj Doval, TNN, Oct 21, 2022: ''The Times of India'']\|frame\|500px]]
		+
		+	NEW DELHI: The Competition Commission of India has fined Google Rs 1,338 crore for abusing its dominant position in relation to Android mobile devices, and ordered the company to immediately "cease and desist" from such practices. The CCI said Google forced one-sided agreements on the tech ecosystem, ensuring continued supply of consumer data for its apps to garner advertising revenue, while blocking others. It said the policies were adversely impacting the business of smartphone makers, competing app creators, a myriad startups, and users.
		+
		+	The investigation into the matter, which was ordered in April 2019, had seen a probe panel of CCI not just question Google but several multinational and Indian companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Paytm, PhonePe, Mozilla, Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo and Karbonn. Google is the leader of the dominant Android operating system (OS) with nearly 98% share of the smartphone market.
		+
		+	CCI said Google's anti-competitive activities were achieved through various one-sided agreements that it forced on the tech eco-system, virtually ensuring continued supply of consumer data for its apps to help garner lucrative advertising revenues, while blocking access to others.
		+
		+	"By virtue of the agreements... Google ensured that users continue to use its search services on mobile devices, which facilitated un-interrupted growth of advertisement revenue for Google. It also helped Google to further invest and improve its services to exclusion of others. Thus, underlying objective of Google in imposing various restrictions... was to protect and strengthen its dominant position in general search services and thus, its revenues via search advertisements," CCI said.
		+
		+	When contacted, a spokesperson for Google did not comment on the development.

	[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources\|G GOOGLE AND INDIAGOOGLE AND INDIA		[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources\|G GOOGLE AND INDIAGOOGLE AND INDIA

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:45, 20 September 2021
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	“If Google is restricted from entering into certain types of contracts while the appellate review is conducted, Google will be irreparably harmed,” the company said in the plea, without elaborating.		“If Google is restricted from entering into certain types of contracts while the appellate review is conducted, Google will be irreparably harmed,” the company said in the plea, without elaborating.
		+
		+	==2021: CCI finds that Google has abused its position==
		+	[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL/2021/09/18&entity=Ar00509&sk=8879B923&mode=text Pankaj Doval, Sep 18, 2021: ''The Times of India'']
		+
		+
		+	[[File: In 2021 CCI found that Google had abused its position.jpg\|In 2021 CCI found that Google had abused its position <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL/2021/09/18&entity=Ar00509&sk=8879B923&mode=text Pankaj Doval, Sep 18, 2021: ''The Times of India'']\|frame\|500px]]
		+
		+	In what could be a damaging finding against Google on abuse of dominance, the investigation arm of Competition Commission of India has said the American tech giant is guilty of adopting anti-competitive, unfair and restrictive trade practices in the mobile operating system and related markets.
		+
		+	During the two-year investigation, ordered by CCI in April 2019, the panel questioned Google – the leader of the ubiquitous Android operating system (OS) with nearly 98% of the smartphone market — and multiple multi-national and Indian companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Paytm, Phone-Pe, Mozilla, Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo and Karbonn.
		+
		+	The probe found Google India guilty of stifling competition and innovation to the detriment of the market and consumers in order to maintain its dominance in search, music (through YouTube), browser (Chrome), app library (Play Store) and other key services. The probe report, of nearly 750 pages, was reviewed exclusively by TOI.
		+
		+	''' ‘Google imposed 1-sided contracts on devices, app makers’ '''
		+
		+	The probe accuses Google of imposing and forcing one-sided contracts on devices and app makers to ensure that its own products and apps maintain primacy in consumer usage, and come pre-installed and as default options to get the highest user preference. “Google is found to be contravening the Competition Act,” the probe report said, holding the company guilty of a variety of charges, including abuse of dominance, denial of market access to competitors, and limiting technical development relating to goods or services to the prejudice of consumers.
		+	The report has been placed before the CCI and if found guilty, Google could face penalties or be asked to discontinue practices that are seen to distort competition and are anti-consumer.
		+
		+	The probe looked into a variety of issues after CCI first received a complaint alleging that Google India had hindered the development and market access of rival mobile apps by requiring smartphone manufacturers through exclusive deals to pre-install its proprietary apps and /or services.
		+
		+	A device-maker wanting to go beyond the “bare Android version” and to make use of any of the key Google apps is mandated by Google to sign a Mobile Application Distribution Agreement (MADA) and an Anti-Fragmentation Agreement /Android Compatibility Commitment, which requires pre-loading of Google apps. Also, device manufacturers and other partners are offered lucrative revenue-share agreements. The probe found that Google has been “foreclosing competition” in the Android operating system as through MADA.
		+
		+	With Google controlling nearly all of the smart mobile market in India, this helps it dominate the search market as it gets access to swathes of user data that makes its results sharper, the report said. It said Google has acquired and maintained its mobile search dominant position in part through anticompetitive means.

	[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources\|G GOOGLE AND INDIAGOOGLE AND INDIA		[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources\|G GOOGLE AND INDIAGOOGLE AND INDIA

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 MMT has a similar litigation going on against rival EaseMyTrip as well. An MMT spokesperson declined to comment on the matter, while emails sent to Google India and HEG did not immediately elicit any response.
-=Court/ tribunal rulings=
-==2018/ Competition Commission of India fines Google Rs 135.86 crore for 'search bias'==
+=Competition Commission of India and Google=
 [https://www.gadgetsnow.com/tech-news/competition-commission-of-india-fines-google-for-rs-135-86-crores-for-search-bias/articleshow/62839148.cms?utm_source=toiweb&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=toiweb_hptopnews  February 8, 2018: ''Gadgets Now'']
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 “If Google is restricted from entering into certain types of contracts while the appellate review is conducted, Google will be irreparably harmed,” the company said in the plea, without elaborating.
 =Innovation=

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:25, 25 June 2021
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	Google.org, along with Google employees, will also be making a $1 million grant to several NGOs in India to support the relief and recovery efforts in the flood-affected regions in Kerala and Karnataka.		Google.org, along with Google employees, will also be making a $1 million grant to several NGOs in India to support the relief and recovery efforts in the flood-affected regions in Kerala and Karnataka.
		+
		+	=Phishing, “government-backed”=
		+	==2019, Q3: 500 Indians warned about phishing attacks on them ==
		+	[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/500-indians-alerted-about-government-backed-phishing-google/articleshow/72285551.cms Anam Ajmal, Nov 29, 2019: ''The Times of India'']
		+
		+	''' Key Highlights '''
		+
		+	Google had warned at least 500 Indians about "government-backed" phishing attacks against them between July and September this year, it said in a blog
		+
		+	Over 12,000 warnings were sent out to users across 149 countries: Google
		+
		+	The Google post also said that over 90% of these users were targeted via "credential phishing emails"
		+
		+	NEW DELHI: Google had warned at least 500 Indians about "government-backed" phishing attacks against them between July and September this year, the technology giant said in a blog. No names were given.
		+
		+	Google said in the blogpost that over 12,000 warnings were sent out to users across 149 countries. The post did not specify whether the users were being targeted by their own governments or others. The Google post also said that over 90% of these users were targeted via "credential phishing emails" where attempts are made to obtain the target's password or other account credentials to hijack their account. The company pointed out that the high-risk users were journalists, human rights activists and political campaigns.
		+
		+	Congress leader Digvijaya Singh raised concerns on the issue in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. "Google has announced today that 500 Indians were targeted by 'Govt. backed Attackers'. What is govt's clarification?" he tweeted. Senior sources in government said that Google releases such reports every year. Persons, including activists, who feel at risk can register with Google and the firm analyses attacks.
		+
		+	"These are sometime state supported and other times con jobs. It has also been found that people are misled into sharing passwords by sites that look like Google but are not," the official said. He added that countries mentioned in the context of state supported programmes are typically those like Iran, N Korea and China.
		+
		+	The blog says that Google had sent out over 12,000 warning to users globally. This is consistent with the number of warnings sent in the same period of 2018 and 2017, the firm added.
		+
		+	According to Google, these government-backed groups have many goals including "intelligence collection, stealing intellectual property, targeting dissidents and activists, destructive cyber attacks, or spreading coordinated disinformation.”.
		+
		+	[[Category:Economy-Industry-Resources\|G GOOGLE AND INDIAGOOGLE AND INDIA
		+	GOOGLE AND INDIA]]
		+	[[Category:India\|G GOOGLE AND INDIAGOOGLE AND INDIA
		+	GOOGLE AND INDIA]]
		+	[[Category:Pages with broken file links\|GOOGLE AND INDIA
		+	GOOGLE AND INDIA]]

	=Play Store=		=Play Store=

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 When it came to the top apps worldwide by download, Facebook held the No. 1 slot, followed by WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Clean Master, UC Browser, Skype, Snapchat, SHAREit and Line. The top paid-for apps were LINE, Tinder, Pandora Music, LINE Manga, Netflix, KakaoTalk, LINE Play and HBO Now.