India’s Antitrust Watchdog Clears Google Settlement in Android TV Case

India’s top competition authority has greenlit a settlement proposal from Google, concluding a high-profile investigation into alleged anti-competitive behavior in the Android smart TV market. The decision, announced Monday by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), marks a significant resolution in one of the country’s closely watched digital market disputes, per Reuters.

The case revolved around accusations that Google exploited its dominance in the Android operating system to stifle competition in India’s growing smart television sector. According to Reuters, the CCI’s investigation began after two local antitrust lawyers filed complaints asserting that Google created hurdles for manufacturers aiming to use or develop alternative versions of Android for their smart TVs.

Following a detailed probe, the CCI found that Google’s licensing agreements required TV makers to preinstall the Google Play Store and other proprietary apps, a practice the regulator deemed an abuse of market power. This mandatory bundling, the CCI argued, disadvantaged competing app and operating system developers, limiting consumer choice and innovation in the market.

Read more: Japan Orders Google to Halt Preinstalled Search Engine Practices on Android Devices

To address these concerns, Google proposed a settlement that involves decoupling its Play Store and Play Services from the broader Android TV package. Instead of offering the services for free as part of a bundle, the company will now charge a fee for standalone access to them.

As part of the agreement, Google has also committed to increased transparency with its partners. The company will issue letters to its Android TV partners in India clarifying that they are under no obligation to include Google apps and are free to use any open-source operating system when developing smart TVs. According to Reuters, the CCI noted that this aspect of the settlement may have broader implications beyond the television segment, potentially impacting other Android-powered devices.

The regulator has approved the financial terms of the deal as well, which includes a payment of 202.4 million rupees (approximately $2.38 million) by Google. This settlement adds to the growing list of regulatory challenges faced by the tech giant in India, one of its largest global markets.

Source: Reuters