Alphabet Inc. Appeal of Indian Antitrust Watchdog Decision in Android Case

JAKARTA – Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google said on Friday December 23 that it will appeal the decision by India's antitrust watchdog which ordered the tech giant to change its approach to the Android platform and impose a fine of USD 162 million (IDR 2.5 trillion). for their anti-competitive practices.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said last October that Google was leveraging its dominant position in markets such as online search and an app store for Android to protect the position of its apps such as Chrome and YouTube on mobile web browsers and online video hosting.

"We have decided to appeal CCI's decision on Android as we believe it presents a major setback for our users and businesses in India who trust Android's security features, and has the potential to increase the cost of mobile devices," a Google spokesperson said last Friday, as quoted. Reuters.

Reuters previously reported that the CCI ruling concerned Google as it sought broader remedial action. According to Counterpoint Research estimates, around 97% of India's 600 million devices run on Android.

"Android has greatly benefited Indian users, developers and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and driven India's digital transformation. We look forward to making our case and staying committed to our users and partners," Google said.

Google has faced increasing antitrust scrutiny around the world, including a major setback earlier this year when a European court upheld a 2018 ruling that said it confirmed a decision that Alphabet imposed "unlawful restrictions on Android mobile device manufacturers".

Google plans to appeal the decision as well, where it is facing a record $4.1 billion in fines.

The company has also come under fire for licensing its Android operating system to smartphone players while signing anti-competitive agreements that restrict them.

According to the U.S. tech giant, Android has created more choices for everyone and such agreements help keep the operating system free.