Google has announced several changes to its Android system in India after the search giant lost a major antitrust case in the country.
This includes allowing users to choose their default search engine on Android.
The move comes after India’s Supreme Court upheld a ruling by the country’s antitrust watchdog that the company had abused its market position.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) fined the company $161 million, accusing it of “unfair” business practices.
About 97% of smartphones in India are estimated to run on Android.
Antitrust proceedings against the tech giant began in October, when the CCI asked Google to make several changes to its Android ecosystem.
The watchdog said Google was “misusing” its Android operating system licenses for a number of smartphones, web searches, browsing and video hosting services.
It accused Google of making “one-sided deals” with smartphone makers to ensure the dominance of its apps.
CCI said this is stifling competition and gives Google continued access to consumer data and lucrative advertising opportunities.
It ordered the company to stop such practice.
Google had challenged the CCI’s directive in the Supreme Court, saying “no other jurisdiction has ever asked for such far-reaching changes.” It argued that the changes directed by the CCI would force the company to change arrangements with more than 1,100 device manufacturers and thousands of app developers.
But the court refused to stay the CCI’s direction and said a lower court, where Google had earlier challenged the order, could continue to hear the appeal, but must give a decision before the end of March.
Last week, the tech giant said it would cooperate with the watchdog.
On Wednesday, the company announced that it will allow device makers in India to license their individual apps pre-installed and allow users to choose their default search engine.
Implementing these changes will be a “complex process,” the company said in a blog post, requiring “significant work on our end and, in many cases, significant work by partners, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and developers.” Efforts” will be required.
Google is facing several antitrust cases in India and authorities are also investigating its conduct in the smart TV market.
