This sensitive report has not yet been received or reviewed,” the tech giant Google stated.
On Thursday, September 23, Google announced that it has filed a complaint with the Delhi High Court regarding the disclosure of the CCI’s confidential report on its investigation into the internet giant.
In a statement, Google stated that it seeks to avoid any additional unlawful disclosures of confidential conclusions by the Competition Commission of India’s investigation arm (CCI)
“Google filed a writ case in the Delhi High Court seeking redress in this matter, specifically contesting the breach of confidence that hinders Google’s ability to defend itself and harms Google and its partners,” the statement continued.
According to reports last week, the Director-General (DG) of the CCI ruled that Google engaged in unfair economic practices in connection to Android.
According to Reuters, the investigation alleges that Google misused its Android operating system’s dominating position in India by leveraging its “vast financial strength” to illegally harm competitors.
Google also hampered “device manufacturers’ ability and incentive to create and market devices running alternative versions of Android,” according to the report.
Also read : India’s Antitrust Watchdog Says Google Violated Android Dominance; Company Responds
CCI investigation on Google
CCI conducted a full investigation against Google in early 2019 after discovering possible violations of competition norms. “We are profoundly disturbed that while in the custody of the CCI, the Director General’s Report, which contains our confidential material in an ongoing case, was leaked to the public.
In a statement, a Google spokeswoman stated, “Protecting confidential information is crucial to any governmental inquiry, and we are pursuing our legal right to seek remedies and prevent any additional unauthorised disclosures.”
The company cooperated fully and preserved confidentiality throughout the investigation, according to the spokeswoman. The statement continued, “We hope and demand the same level of secrecy from the institutions we interact with.”
The findings of the DG “do not reflect the final decision of the CCI,” according to the corporation, and the submission of the inquiry report is an interim procedural step.
The statement claimed, “Google has not yet had the opportunity to study the DG’s conclusions, much less offer its defence of any claims.” According to Reuters, Google sent at least 24 comments defending itself and arguing that it was not harming competition, according to the CCI study.
The 750-page report claims that requiring app pre-installation “amounts to imposition of an unreasonable condition on the device manufacturers” in violation of Indian competition law and that the firm used its Play Store app store to maintain its monopoly.
According to the research, Google’s Play Store policies were “one-sided, imprecise, vague, biassed, and arbitrary,” and Android has “enjoyed its dominant position” in licensable operating systems for smartphones and tablets since 2011.
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