Google has received a 9bn rupee (£98mln) fine, the second in a week from the Competition Commission of India (CCI), after further accusations it was “abusing” its dominant position.
India has demanded that Google allows third-party payment systems for in-app purchases, rather than forcing app developers to use its own billing service on its Play Store.
“If the app developers do not comply with Google’s policy of using GPBS, they are not permitted to list their apps on the Play Store and thus, would lose out the vast pool of potential customers,” explained the CCI.
“The app developers are left bereft of the inherent choice to use payment processor of their liking from the open market,” which the commission said was anti-competitive behaviour
Google, owned by Aplhabet Inc, replied: “By keeping costs low, our model has powered India's digital transformation and expanded access for hundreds of millions of Indians,” adding that it is reviewing the CCI allegations.
On Friday, the CCI fined Google roughly £140mln for restricting users from uninstalling its apps on Android phones.