NCLAT upholds fine imposed on Google by Competition Commission of India

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT)on Wednesdayconcurred with the findings of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) that Google had abused its dominant position in the Android market.

NCLAT upheld a fine of $157 million (13bn rupees) on the internet giant Google.

It also struck down anti-trust regulator order that had said Google will not restrict the removal of its pre-installed apps by the users.

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A two-member bench of NCLAT chairperson Justice Ashok Bhushan and Dr Alok Srivastava asked Google to implement the direction and deposit the amount in 30 days.

The appellate tribunal said "the impugned order of the Commission is upheld except the four directions" issued and added that Google is "thus not entitled for any other relief except for setting aside the above four directions".

"The Appellant (Google) is allowed to deposit the amount of penalty (after adjusting the 10 per cent amount of penalty as deposited under order dated January 4, 2023) within a period of 30 days from today," it said.

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Last year in October, CCI imposed a monetary penalty on Google for anti-competitive practices concerning Android mobile devices.

CCI had accused Google of entering into "one-sided agreements" with smartphone makers to ensure the dominance of its apps.

Meanwhile, a Google spokesperson said: "We are grateful for the opportunity given by the NCLAT to make our case. We are reviewing the order and evaluating our legal options".

(With inputs from agencies)

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