The Competition Commission of India is launching a full investigation into complaints that Google has sidelined rivals by exploiting the market dominance of its Android operating system.
An initial investigation found that the allegations against Google were plausible, and the CCI is expected to interview representatives from the US internet giant across the next few months as part of a year-long probe, according to Reuters.
While the structure of the investigation has not been publicly disclosed, sources have told the news agency that it will resemble the European Commission’s recent probe into allegations that Google was abusing Android’s market dominance. That investigation lasted for three years and ended up issuing Google with a €4.3 billion fine.
This forced Google to address its Android strategy, with the company ending its practice of bundling its apps into the platform for free to encourage their use. Going forward, device makers will have to pay a licensing fee to use Google’s apps, and Android devices sold in the European Union will allow users to choose their default search engine and browser at set-up.
According to StatCounter, Android accounts for 91% of the mobile operating system market in India.
