Connect with us

Business

Fine of Rs 136 crore slapped on Google for unfair business practices

Published

on

Google, Internet search engine, Internet giant, Competition Commission, Unfair business, Indian market, Indian market, Online search, Business news

New Delhi: The Competition Commission today imposed a fine of Rs 136 crore on internet giant Google for unfair business practices in the Indian market for online search.

After a detailed probe on the complaints filed in 2012, the regulator through a majority order said the penalty is being imposed on Google for “infringing anti-trust conduct”.

 

 

Google’s specialised search options that lead to its commercial flight unit, prohibitions imposed under the negotiated search intermediation agreements and ranking of universal results prior to 2010 were found to be violating competition norms.

On the CCI ruling, a Google spokesperson said the company is “reviewing the narrow concerns identified by the Commission and will assess our next steps”.

 

 

Globally, this is one of the rare cases where Google has been penalised for unfair business ways, even as it has been under probe in several countries.

It was alleged that Google is indulging in abuse of dominant position in the market for online search through practices leading to search bias and search manipulation, among others.

 

 

For this case, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) considered markets in India for online general web search services and for online search advertising services as the relevant ones.

The penalty amount of Rs 135.86 crore translates to 5 per cent of the company’s average total revenue generated from India operations from its different business segments for the financial years 2013, 2014 and 2015, according to the CCI order.

 

 

In a release, the CCI said that Google through its search design has not only placed its commercial flight unit at a prominent position on SERP, it has also allocated disproportionate real estate thereof to such units to the disadvantage of verticals trying to gain market access.

 

Fine of Rs 136 crore imposed on Google for unfair business practices:

 

With respect to contravention by the flight commercial unit, the CCI has directed the company to “display a disclaimer in the commercial flight unit box indicating clearly that the ‘search flights’ link placed at the bottom leads to Google’s Flights page,” so that users are not misled.

 

 

The watchdog has also ordered Google to not enforce the restrictive clauses with immediate effect in its negotiated direct search intermediation agreements with Indian partners.

The CCI said it has given thoughtful consideration on the submissions made by Google on issue of penalty and found it appropriate to impose a fine.

 

 

The ruling has come on complaints filed by Matrimony.com and Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS)-back in 2012-against Google LLC, Google India Pvt Ltd and Google Ireland Ltd.

While the majority order is by chairperson D K Sikri and three members, two members have issued a dissent order saying that they don’t find Google in violation of Section 4 of the Competition Act. This section pertains to abuse of dominant position.

 

 

The Google spokesperson said the company has always focused on innovating to support the evolving needs of users.

On the basis of the probe report submitted by the Director General, the CCI broadly looked at four aspects-whether Google biases its search results, whether it imposes unfair conditions on advertisers, whether the company’s distribution and intermediation agreements restrict competition.

 

 

The regulator also noted that product design is an important and integral dimension of competition and any undue intervention in designs of SERP (Search Engine Results Page) may affect legitimate product improvements resulting in consumer harm.

Further, the CCI said it has examined the issues within the permissible parameters in technology markets.

 

Business

Apple is giving a huge discount on its gadgets: Details inside

Published

on

If you want to buy an iPhone and were waiting for a nice offer, then we have a piece of good news for you! Amazon Summer Sale May 2022 has begun and they are offering major discounts on various smartphones, laptops, and smart TVs, among others.

The sale is live now on the e-commerce platform with no-cost EMI options and exchange discounts on various products. In addition to this, Amazon has also partnered with several banks including ICICI, Kotak Bank, and RBL so that customers get instant discounts of up to 10% using their cards and EMI transactions.

Customers can easily enjoy this summer sale and get massive discounts on iPhones. They can also compare prices on Flipkart Big Saving Days Sale 2022 before making a purchase.

 

Amazon Summer Sale May 2022: Discount offer on iPhone 13 

Apple’s coveted phone model iPhone 13 in the 128 GB storage model will be available during the Amazon Summer Sale May 2022 for Rs 64,900. The MRP of the phone is Rs 79,900. This means that the customers will be able to enjoy a discount of up to Rs 15,000 on the purchase of the iPhone 13.

If you have an old iPhone in working condition then you will also be eligible to receive another additional discount worth up to Rs 17,000 on the iPhone 13.

Buy at Rs. 64,900 (MRP – Rs. 79,900)

Features of Apple iPhone 13 

The iPhone is powered by an A15 Bionic processor with 6 core CPU. Apart from this, it has 16 core neural engines. With the iPhone 13, up to 512 GB of storage will be available. The iPhone 13 has a 6.1-inch Retina XDR display with 1000 nits brightness.

The iPhone 13 has a 12-megapixel dual rear camera setup. This time a new wide-angle camera has been given, whose aperture is f/1.6. With this, there is support for sensor optical stabilisation. Night mode has been made better than before. The second lens is also 12 megapixels ultra-wide and has an aperture of f/2.4.

Continue Reading

Trending