Competition Commission of India (CCI) said Google may have imposed unfair conditions on news publishers.
The complainant said Google denied fair advertising revenue to its members
India's competition watchdog on Friday ordered an investigation into Alphabet's Google following allegations from news publishers, saying its initial view was that the tech giant had broken some antitrust laws.
In its order, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) said Google dominates certain online search services in the country and may have imposed unfair conditions on news publishers.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The complainant, Digital News Publishers Association, which comprises the digital arms of some of India's biggest media companies, said Google denied fair advertising revenue to its members.
"In a well-functioning democracy, the critical role played by news media cannot be undermined," the CCI order said. "It appears that Google is using its dominant position in the relevant markets to enter/protect its position in the market for news aggregation service."
News organisations, which have been losing advertising revenue to online aggregators such as Google, have complained for years about tech companies using stories in search results or other features without payment.
The CCI order also mentioned new rules in Australia and France — fuelled by media lobbying and public pressure — that have led to licensing deals around the world collectively worth billions of dollars.
© Thomson Reuters 2021
For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.