After two years, an antitrust probe in India found that Google abused its dominant position in the Android market to hurt competitors.
The antitrust watchdog, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), found that Google reduced the ability and incentive for device manufacturers to design their own Android versions, according to sources familiar with the issue.
Additionally, the watchdog found Google’s requirement for manufacturers to pre-install its apps to be a violation of India’s competition laws.
The CCI also found Google’s enforcement of Play Store policies to be “one-sided, ambiguous, vague, biased, and arbitrary.”
A group of 350 founders, investors, and startups called the Alliance of Digital India Foundation applauded the CCI’s findings, saying they were “in line with the Indian digital ecosystem’s needs.”
The watchdog’s findings are not yet to be published officially. Nonetheless, they are the latest blow to Google in India, which is a significant market because of its over one billion population. The tech giant is currently facing other antitrust probes and cases in India.
According to the Times of India, Google said it plans to demonstrate to the CCI that “Android has led to more competition and innovation, not less.”
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