Google has been fined the equivalent of 162 million dollars in India. The company is abusing its dominant position with its Android mobile operating system, a regulator says.
Market watchdog Competition Commission of India (CCI) accuses Google, among other things, of forcing smartphone manufacturers to pre-install apps such as Google Maps and Gmail on new phones. Otherwise, manufacturers are not allowed to run those devices on Android.
That punishment for Google was imminent in India became clear last month. Then the Times of India newspaper reported that Google was trying to thwart competition with unilateral contracts. Google would also restrict the use of competing search engines in Android.
Google has not yet responded to the announcement of the fine. The company said last month that Android has allowed mobile devices to become cheaper and, as a result, more Indians have gone online than would have been the case without the operating system. Therefore, Android is actually good for competition, Google believes.