US ANTITRUST RULING ON GOOGLE’S MARKET MONOPOLY
Why in the news?
- A US court ruled that Google violated antitrust laws by maintaining a search engine monopoly.
- This ruling may influence similar antitrust cases and regulations in India.
source:researchgate
US Antitrust Ruling Against Google
- The US Justice Department, along with several states, sued Google for illegally maintaining its monopoly in search services.
- Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google’s “default distribution” of its search engine through pre-installed browsers and widgets gives it an unfair advantage over competitors.
- The ruling emphasised that this default position hinders competition and innovation in the search engine market.
- Google was ordered to allow users to choose their default search engine, a significant change in its operations.
Potential Impact on India
- The ruling, though specific to the US market, could influence similar cases in India, where Google faces allegations of anti-competitive practices.
- The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is closely monitoring this case, and the outcome could affect Google’s dominance in the Indian market.
- In India, ongoing debates around the Draft Competition Bill 2024 and its impact on major tech companies like Google and Xiaomi are expected.
Key Regulation of Big Tech Companies in India:
Competition Act, 2002 (Amended 2023):
Key Features:
Draft Digital Competition Bill, 2024:
Key Features:
Consumer Protection Act, 2019:
Key Features:
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