Google found itself once again targeted by India’s competition watchdog, which kicked off a probe following complaints by domestic start-ups about the search giant’s in-app payment fees, Reuters reported.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) started a 60-day investigation after the start-ups claimed Google’s in-app payment policies are discriminatory.
Complaints were prompted by Google taking down more than 100 apps from Indian companies for violating payment policies, the news website noted. The apps were restored when the government became involved in the dispute.
The probe is not the first time Google’s policies have come under scrutiny from the regulator.
In 2020, the authority examined whether the company favoured its payments service by abusing the market position of its Android OS and Google Play Store.
Last June, Google asked the country’s Supreme Court to remove orders issued by the competition authority requiring it to modify how its Android OS operates, after the CCI earlier ruled the company exploited a dominant position in the mobile market and fined it INR13.4 billion ($161.7 million).
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