India has become the latest country to fine Alphabet Inc.’s Google for abusing its status as the world’s most popular search engine.
On Thursday , the Competition Commission of India (CCI) ruled that Google used its dominance in online web search and internet advertising markets unfairly to further its own financial gain. In one example , the CCI found that the tech giant deliberately placed its commercial flight search function above competitor websites in order to pocket commission payments.
The reasoning behind the fine is hence similar to the one applied by the European Commission last year who said the company was doing the same thing to illegally promote its shopping comparison service on the Old Continent, having opted to hit it with the largest antitrust fine in the history of the political bloc in mid-2017.
While the $21 million figure fades in comparison with the $2.7 billion fine issued to Google in Europe , the development sets yet another precedent that may lead to more similar decisions in other parts of the world.
In a statement provided to Reuters , a Google official said the tech giant is still in the process of reviewing the decision and hasn’t yet decided on its next course of action.