Preliminary findings say Google abused Android dominance in India

The Competition Commission of India has released the preliminary findings of their two-year investigation into Google’s Android operations in India, reports Reuters.

The Commission found that Google abused its dominance to prevent Indian companies from forking Android and illegally stifled competition in the country. 98% of the 520 million smartphones in India run Android.

They said the company used its “huge financial muscle” to reduce manufacturers’ ability to develop and sell devices running Android forks and also engaged in other anti-competitive actions, including requiring companies to pre-install Google’s apps.

They also found Play Store policies to be “one-sided, ambiguous, vague, biased and arbitrary.”

Companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi also responded to questions from the commission.

The Commission is allowing Google to answer the charges before settling on a final verdict, which will likely include penalties. Google has said they were looking forward to working with the CCI to “demonstrate how Android has led to more competition and innovation, not less.”

via Engadget