Google Faces CCI Inquiry Over Alleged Non-Compliance With Play Store Billing Order

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Friday ordered an inquiry into the alleged non-compliance by Google associated to the CCI order relating to the Play Store consumer alternative billing coverage.

The order was in response to the Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) submission with the Indian market regulator on Google not complying with the CCI instructions and introducing consumer alternative billing (UCB) which is “unfair, irrational and discriminatory”.

The CCI had penalised Google for indulging in unfair practices and directed the company to follow certain corrective measures regarding the same.

The CCI in October had imposed a penalty of Rs 936.44 crore on Google for abusing its dominant position with respect to its Play Store policies.

The ADIF reached out to the CCI over the non-compliance by Google and in response, the CCI “has not only stated that an enquiry needs to be made against the compliance by Google” however has additionally directed “Google to file an in depth response to a set of queries talked about within the order, together with data on its processes and inner insurance policies relating to information sharing, data-steering provisions, UCB coverage”.

The tech-giant has been provided with 4 weeks to provide its responses to the queries.

Google in January introduced various changes in its Play Store policies and introduced user choice billing as reforms in compliance with the directives of CCI.

The changes, however, were not compliant with the order, according to the ADIF.

The ADIF’s spokesperson had slammed the changes and termed them “irrational, unfair and discriminatory” in nature.

ADIF additionally maintained that the adjustments won’t be helpful in any method and can solely harm the startup ecosystem in the long term.

In one other Android case, Google has paid the complete penalty quantity of Rs 1,337.76 crore imposed by the CCI.