India's Digital Media Publishing Group Sues Google's Domination As News Aggregator

JAKARTA - India's business competition watchdog on Friday, January 7, ordered an investigation into Alphabet Inc's Google following allegations from the news publisher, who said it initially believed the tech giant had violated some of the country's antitrust laws.

In its order, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) said Google had dominated certain online search services in the country and may have imposed unfair conditions on news publishers. Google itself did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters on the matter.

The claimant, the Association of Digital News Publishers, which comprises the digital arm of some of India's biggest media companies, said Google refused to distribute advertising revenue fairly to its members.

"In a well-functioning democracy, the important role played by the news media cannot be underestimated," the CCI order said. "It appears that Google is using its dominant position in the relevant market to enter/protect its position in the market for news aggregation services."

News organizations, which have lost ad revenue from online aggregators like Google, have complained for years about technology companies using stories in search results or other features without payment.

The CCI order also mentions new rules in France and Australia - driven by media lobbying and public pressure - that have led to licensing deals worldwide being collectively worth billions of dollars.