Google has moved the Supreme Court to encounter the order of the NCLAT that refused to impose a stay on Rs. 1,338 crore fine on the company by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), CNBC-TV18 reported on January 7. The search giant is poised to argue that parts of the CCI order were plagiarized from European Union competition proceedings and that the order is “extraordinary” and suffers from “flaws,” a CNBC-TV report added on the 8th.
Next, the Alphabet unit is set to claim that Android phones are more inexpensive because of the open system, enabling more than 15,000 models across 1,100 OEMs. In the October judgment, the CCI also ordered the internet major to cease various unfair business practices. Earlier this week, the NCLAT refused to stay the order passed by the CCI after finding that the order was passed on October 20, 2022, but an appeal against it was filed on December 20, 2022.
The NCLAT also directed the search engine to deposit 10 percent of the fine within three weeks. The search engine challenged the CCI’s punishment before the NCLAT, which is the appellate body above the CCI against any order issued by the regulator. The NCLAT, however, declined any immediate relief, saying: “We are of the view that at this time, given the capacious kind of the plea, and since the final hearing is on April 3, 2023, there is no need to issue any interim order.”
CCI’s complain Against Google
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has consolidated complaints from several news organizations alleging abuse of the search engine’s dominant position to dictate terms that unilaterally favor the tech giant and result in unfair compensation for content created by members. “CCI has found quality in a complaint filed by the NBDA against Google LLC, Alphabet Inc, Google Ireland Ltd, Google Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, and Google India Pvt Ltd, which alleged that the search engine, Google was abusing its leading spot in breach of the Competition Act 2002,” the news organization said in a statement.
“Accordingly, CCI in its order dated 6.10.2022 has linked the matter with the ongoing investigation of similar complaints filed by other concerned authorities viz. INS & DNPA.” A Google spokesperson said the company is cooperating with the investigation and will explain how it works with publishers.
“Our products are designed to provide relevant and useful information and ensure that people around the world can find quality news. We have been working closely with the news industry in India for years, helping publishers grow their businesses through advertising and subscription services and grow their audiences by driving valuable traffic to their websites. We are cooperating with the investigation and look forward to explaining how we are working with publishers, businesses, and consumers,” the spokeswoman said.
Have you ever noticed how often you use Google to find answers to your questions? Research indicates that Google has about 3.8 million searches per minute worldwide. Huge, right? It is a fact that over the years, Google has won the hearts of people with its superior user experience and amazing products. So much so that we often say “Google it” and use Google as a verb rather than a noun. Such brand value! Additionally, most of the marketing efforts that happen around SEO and advertising are primarily focused on the search engine rankings.
What Makes Google The Search Engine Of Choice?
Here are the main reasons why the search engine is the first and the only choice of search engine for people all over the world:
- Priority search intent
For every search a user makes, the search engine returns the most accurate and relevant results. The search engine understands a user’s search intent like no one else. The search engine often aims to ensure that its users only end up on websites with quality content that helps them the most. With this, user satisfaction is provided! This not only makes users feel heard but also develops a trust factor to keep them coming back again and again.
- Faster than your thoughts
Whether it’s search suggestions or results, Google is fast! One keyword in the search box and the query in the user’s mind are clickable. What more could one want? But, the search engine is always one step ahead and provides its users with the smoothest experience every step of the way. It is said that Google gives every result within a tenth of a second. Thanks to its technical infrastructure and a team of experts. Needless to say, no other search engine on the Internet can match this level of efficiency.
- Users get what suits them best
The search engine primarily focuses on geo-targeting. Because of this, any search query tends to get local results at the top. This is very beneficial not only for the users in terms of the relevance of the results but also for the businesses as they get the ratings locally. These custom results have proven to be one of the main reasons for Google’s recent popularity. The search engine went a step further and even made it available to users and linked its results to Google Maps.
- Made life easier for users
It could be Google Translate, Typing, or Voice Search. Users never have to step out of their comfort zone to find solutions to their problems. The search engine has always been able to put itself in people’s shoes to understand their problems and come up with solutions that will amaze the world! Handling Google products, tools and services is easy and simple for almost all age groups. As a result, people not only use the search engine but also enjoy it from time to time.
- Improved artificial intelligence and algorithms
The digital world is dynamic. And so are user search patterns. The search engine goes to great lengths to understand the habits and capabilities of its users. Accordingly, it constantly updates and adjusts its algorithms using user analysis and machine learning. The search engine also has its mechanism to detect and penalize users playing black hat techniques to rank higher. This in turn increases the trust factor for the search engine as it consistently delivers authentic, quality, and genuine results in every search result.
- Best-in-class ads and toolset
Google Ads is effective, popular, and most importantly cost-effective for a large number of businesses in most countries. The high return on investment of this easy-to-run and run Google ad is a clear target for many Internet users. In addition, Google has the best set of tools of its own, which makes many complex tasks easier.
- World-class support
It is known for having the most efficient support team for its users’ issues and queries. This is why most digital business owners prefer to be a Google Premium Partner. Not only that, but it also supports new digital business owners to rank higher, perform better and make profits through their guidance, free knowledge, and online consultations.
NBDA filed a complaint under § 19 paragraph 1 letter (a) of the Competition Act, 2002 with the Competition Commission of India (CCI), which sought an investigation against “technology giant Alphabet, Inc. and its subsidiaries (Google) due to alleged abuse of a dominant position. which contravenes the Competition Act”. “The complaint also alleges that Google is parasitic on its members’ content by forcing them to provide their news content to Google to rank their weblinks on Google’s search engine results page (SERP),” the press release added.
In addition to the above, the NBDA also states in its complaint that Google “exploited its members’ dependence on the search engine offered by Google for traffic from referrals to create its services”. The NBDA also said in its complaint that “the way this search engine operates has the effect of discouraging technical or scientific development related to goods or services, causing harm to consumers, violating user privacy and the intellectual property rights of its members.”
The CCI had in March this year ordered an inquiry into “abuse of dominance” by tech giant Google following a complaint filed by the Indian Newspaper Society. “CCI has advised its director general to investigate complaints against the search engine that the tech giant allegedly abused its dominant position vis-à-vis news publishers,” the INS said in a press statement. Several countries around the world, including Australia, have asked big tech to pay for the news. To promote the sustainability of public interest journalism in Australia, a Code of Mandatory Negotiation for News Media and Digital Platforms was approved by the Australian Parliament in February 2021.
In its petition before the NCLAT, the search engine termed the CCI’s investigation against it as “tainted” and alleged that the two whistleblowers on whose complaint the fair trade regulator had initiated the probe worked in the same office that investigated the technology. It also raised the issue of the absence of a judicial member in the CCI and said that the final decision, in this case, should be taken only by a quorum that includes a judicial member.
Edited by Prakriti Arora
