Google's anti-competitive practices: CCI begins probe

New Delhi: The Competition Commission has initiated investigation into alleged anti-competitive practices by global search engine Google, the government said.

In a written reply in Parliament, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs R P N Singh said CCI has received information for contravention of section 4 of the Competition Act, 2002, by Google.

The section pertains to the abuse of dominant position by a market player.

“The CCI, which is quasi-judicial regulator body has ordered an investigation in the matter of Director General, CCI,” he said replying to a query whether the Competition Commission of India has launched a probe on a complaint filed by an NGO CUTS International.

[caption id=“attachment_417012” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The Competition Commission has initiated investigation into alleged anti-competitive practices by global search engine Google.AP[/caption]

In February, another company BharatMatrimony had filed a complaint against Google alleging that the multinational company has abused its dominance by engaging in discriminatory and retaliatory practices relating to AdWords.

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The AdWords programme, in which Google sells keywords to advertisers and displays them in the form of short ads online, is a big money spinner for the company.

In 2011, the advertising segment comprised 96 percent of Google’s $38 billion revenue.

PTI