NEW DELHI, Apr 21: Ending its monopoly, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has ruled that the Google will no longer power the Operating System on Android TVs in India as a default and neither will it be the default App store on such smart TVs.
The competition watchdog pulled up Google’s parent firm Alphabet for its “anti-competitive practices” in the smart TV segment in India and accused it of attempting to create a “monopoly” in the sector. India is among Google’s biggest global markets and the company’s practice of pre-installing its operating system, Google Play Store, and related applications under its television app distribution agreement amounted to “misusing its dominant position,” the CCI said.
The case against Google and Alphabet was filed by two Indian antitrust lawyers, following which the CCI ordered an investigation in the matter. The findings suggested that the global tech giant engaged in procedures that may be considered as creating barriers for smaller firms wanting to develop alternative operating systems or even modified ones for Android smart TVs.
Based on the competition watchdog’s ruling, Google agreed to file a settlement application in which it proposed a standalone license for its Play Store and Play Services for Android smart TVs in India, instead of bundling the services.
According to the new agreement, Google’s Play Store and Play Services, which were being provided free for pre-installation, will now include a fee. Google has also been told to send a letter to all its partners who sell Android TVs in India, stating that they are no longer bound to use Google’s Android OS and are hereon free to use any open-sourced operating system of their choice.
Consumers who prefer Google’s Android OS and Play Store will now have to check with retailers and brands to know which TVs have them installed and which don’t, since other operating systems and app stores will now be allowed to partner with smart TV makers.
Though the new agreement is primarily for smart TVs, the Competition Commission of India said it may be extended beyond just televisions. It also imposed a penalty of $2.38 million, which Google will have to pay as settlement for the case.
Not all apps are available on all application stores at the moment. Google Play and Amazon App Store offer the widest range of apps for TV users. Many major app developers also cater primarily to Apple, Google, and Amazon stores, and are hence not available on some others who provide similar services.
Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android, and Amazon’s Fire OS are also preferred for their data security measures and its seamless graphical user interface. So, TV buyers will now have to do their research about the Operating System and App Store before buying a television. Currently brands like Hisense, Sony, Panasonic, Philips, Sharp, Motorola, Nokia, Toshiba, and TCL all use Google’s Android OS and Play Store services, which comes preinstalled.
Besides choosing another operating system, Android TV partners in India will also not be mandated to use any of the Google apps as a default in its TVs.
(Manas Dasgupta)
