The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has started looking into allegations against Google.

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  The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has started looking into allegations against Google.

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1. Google have allegations of abusing its market position to unfairly promote its mobile payments app (Google Pay) in the country.
2. The complaint alleges that Google more prominently showcases its Google Pay app inside its Android app store in India which give it an unfair advantage over apps of competitors.
3. Google Pay allows users to do digital transactions, inter-bank fund transfers and bill payments.
4. Softbank-backed Paytm and Walmart’s PhonePe are its competitors. Facebook’s WhatsApp is also planning a similar service in the near future.
5. Google has not responded to the allegations yet and is expected to respond in due course.
6. The CCI can direct its investigations unit to conduct a wider probe into the allegations or dismiss the case if it finds no merit in it after Google will appear before the CCI.
7. This is Google’s third major antitrust challenge in India.
8. In 2018, the CCI fined Google $21 million for ‘search bias’ - It was alleged that Google was indulging in abuse of a dominant position in the market for online search through practices leading to search bias and search manipulation.
9. In 2019, the CCI started probing Google for allegedly misusing its dominant position to reduce the ability of smartphone manufacturers to opt for alternate versions of its Android mobile operating system.
10. Competition Commission of India - It is a statutory body responsible for enforcing the objectives of the Competition Act, 2002. A Chairperson and 6 Members appointed by the Central Government for it.
11. Antitrust law, also referred to as Competition law, aims to protect trade and commerce from unfair restraints, monopolies and price-fixing. The Competition Act, 2002 is India’s antitrust law. It repealed and replaced the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969 (MRTP Act) on the recommendations of the Raghavan committee.
12. The Competition Act, 2002 - It was passed in 2002 and was amended by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2007. In accordance with the provisions of the Amendment Act, the Competition Commission of India and the Competition Appellate Tribunal (COMPAT) were established.
13. The government replaced COMPAT with the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) in 2017.
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