Close X
Thursday, December 12, 2024
ADVT 
India

How three young informants made tech giant Google cough up Rs 1,338 cr fine

Darpan News Desk IANS, 31 Oct, 2022 10:59 AM
  • How three young informants made tech giant Google cough up Rs 1,338 cr fine

Srinagar, Oct 31 (IANS) Three young informants, Umar Javeed, Aaqib and Sukarma Thapar finally forced the tech giant, Google to cough up a whooping fine of Rs 1,338 crore for abusing its dominant position in multiple markets with its Android mobile operating system.

While Umar Javeed and Sukarma Thapar were then working as research associates with the CCI, Umar's younger brother Aaqib was then a law student in the University of Kashmir.

The CCI, the national competition regulator, is responsible for promoting competition and preventing activities that have an appreciable adverse effect on market competition in India.

Umar and Aaqib belong to the Valley. That Google was abusing its dominant position in multiple markets was the complaint filed by the three young informants in 2018.

The three young informants are all lawyers now, with Umar working at a public sector undertaking, Aaqib a practicing advocate in Delhi and Sukarma an independent consultant for law and policy.

Umar said that compiling evidence was a tough task because they only had access to consumer-facing information to support their cause.

"We can look at an Android phone and say there are some Google-owned apps that cannot be deleted even if we wanted to, but besides that, as consumers, we have little information on how exactly Android smartphone manufacturers and app developers are affected by the role Google plays in the Android ecosystem," he explained.

Aaqib said that the three of them were already interested in how the digital market was shaping up in India and how the policies and laws governing technology were influencing consumers and tech companies.

"There were many late nights and early mornings where we would just work throughout the night.

"I was still a law student then and helping these guys meant I was juggling research along with studying for exams and assignments," Aaqib said.

The process of compiling a comprehensive dossier of information was not easy and took about two months.

"We had to focus on our day jobs and then research for this later in the day. That is when we would have some free time," Sukarma said.

Then, events related to Google in Europe caught the trio's attention. "In July 2018, the European Commission (the EU's competition watchdog) imposed one of its largest fines on Google of 4.34 billion Euros for violating EU antitrust rules," Umar said.

After considering this information submitted by the three informants, the CCI launched an investigation in April 2019 into Google's conduct in the Android mobile device ecosystem which eventually resulted in the October 20 CCI judgment and fine.

In its response, Google had said it would review the competition watchdog's decision. "CCI's decision is a major setback for Indian consumers and businesses opening serious security risks for Indians and raising the cost of mobile devices for Indians."

Thanks to the whistle blown by these three informants, CCI has now tightened its noose around other big tech companies like Apple and Facebook after they were hauled up by European and Australian regulators.

CCI has, however, not been successful in going all out in such anti-competitive activities by these companies. Apart from the current penalties, Google also faces a probe from CCI in two other cases. CCI hopes that these cases will serve as a 'guidance note' for other companies which may be flouting competition rules.

MORE India ARTICLES

Amarinder reminds AAP of opposing extension of BSF jurisdiction

Amarinder reminds AAP of opposing extension of BSF jurisdiction
The former Chief Minister hoped the state government, instead of adopting a confrontationist attitude, will co-operate and co-ordinate with the Central government to handle all the security and other issues Punjab is challenged with.

Amarinder reminds AAP of opposing extension of BSF jurisdiction

After Delhi, Punjab farmers gather on Chandigarh borders over demands

After Delhi, Punjab farmers gather on Chandigarh borders over demands
As the year-long protest against the Centre's farm laws at the Delhi borders ended in November last year with the revoking of the three Central farm laws, hundreds of Punjab farmers on Tuesday gathered on the outskirts of the state capital demanding compensation of Rs 500 per quintal for those who suffered losses due to early onset of early summer.

After Delhi, Punjab farmers gather on Chandigarh borders over demands

Gujarat ATS arrests four men wanted in 1993 Bombay serial blasts case

Gujarat ATS arrests four men wanted in 1993 Bombay serial blasts case
Based on a specific information about the presence of four suspicious persons in Ahmedabad, a team was formed under Deputy Superintendent of Police, Kanubhai Patel, which detained the four persons from the Sardarnagar area on the evening of May 12.

Gujarat ATS arrests four men wanted in 1993 Bombay serial blasts case

Sextortion gang impersonating as cops busted, one held

Sextortion gang impersonating as cops busted, one held
Furnishing details, Deputy Commissioner of Police (north), Sagar Singh Kalsi, said some complaints were received on the MHA's Cyber Crime Portal regarding extortion by fake Crime Branch and YouTube officials on the pretext of lodging police complaints over obscene videos of victims and uploading of the same on YouTube.

Sextortion gang impersonating as cops busted, one held

Punjab CM launches programme to redress grievances

Punjab CM launches programme to redress grievances
As many as 61 complainants listed their grievances before the Chief Minister during the 'Lok Milni'. He directed top officers present on the occasion to ensure immediate resolution of these complaints in a time-bound and result-oriented manner.

Punjab CM launches programme to redress grievances

Delhi building fire claims 16 lives, more casualties feared

Delhi building fire claims 16 lives, more casualties feared
As per visuals released from the spot, thick fumes of black smoke along with a massive blaze could be seen billowing out of the ill-fated three-storey building. The firemen used the fire truck ladder to reach out to the maximum possible height to spray water over the blaze.

Delhi building fire claims 16 lives, more casualties feared