NCLAT upholds penalty of Rs.1,337 cr on Google by CCI for abusing its dominant position in Android market

The NCLAT, an appellate tribunal for orders passed by CCI, rejected Google's argument that the CCI's order violated the "principles of natural justice"

PGurus Newsdesk

March 29, 2023

The NCLAT, an appellate tribunal for orders passed by CCI, rejected Google's argument that the CCI's order violated the "principles of natural justice"

Setback for Google! NCLAT upholds penalty slapped by CCI

In a big setback for tech giant Google, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) rejected its appeal and upheld a penalty of Rs.1337.76 crore imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for misusing its dominant position in the Android market.

The Bench comprising NCLAT Chairperson Justice Ashok Bhushan and Dr. Alok Srivastava, Member noted that the investigation conducted by CCI was not in violation of the principles of natural justice as claimed by Google.

The CCI had, on October 30, 2022, imposed a fine of Rs.1,337.76 crore on Google for anti-competitive practices in relation to Android mobile devices. The competition watchdog also asked the Internet giant to refrain from indulging in unfair business practices.

NCLAT has given Google 30 days to comply with the ruling and pay a fee of Rs. 1,337 crore

The CCI fined Google Rs 1337.76 crore for misusing its strong position in a number of marketplaces within the environment for android mobile devices. Google had submitted a request to have the CCI’s fine suspended. The ruling issued by the CCI in October 2022 was contested in December before the NCLAT. The NCLAT agreed on January 4 to hear the case in April but refused to take the question of suspending the CCI instructions into consideration. The Supreme Court then ordered NCLAT to rule on Google’s appeal before March 31. The matter will be heard again on April 3, 2023.

[With Inputs from IANS]

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