Google expressed growing concern about Android's future in a crucial international market by claiming on Friday, Jan. 13, that the Indian antitrust watchdog's ruling may lead to the emergence of uncontrolled apps that would present a danger to individual and national security.
The company also argues that the verdict would increase the price of devices in the South Asian market.
Fines Imposed
According to TechCrunch, Google has been hit with two hefty penalties by the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
The allegations indicate that the company exploited its monopoly on the Play Store to force local manufacturers to pre-install the full Google Mobile Suite on all Android devices sold in the country.
Analysts fear that Google's financial sustainability in India would be threatened by the modifications the Indian watchdog has demanded the corporation make to its business methods. Google has filed an appeal with Indian courts to overturn the orders.
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Security Concerns
Google noted in a blog post titled Heart of the Matter that many malicious applications on the internet may put users at risk of identity theft, money fraud, and other scams. Many of these apps reportedly originate in India and other countries.
The tech giant acknowledged that although it takes responsibility for the applications available via the Play Store and performs scans for malware and compliance with local regulations, the same checks may not be in place for apps sideloaded from other sources.
Since India's remarkable digital transition began a few years ago, Google has engaged with the country extensively. However, at a time when barely half of India's population is connected, the directives in the CCI's ruling strike a blow at the resource efforts to boost digital adoption in the nation, the firm noted in a blog post.
If the demands of the Indian antitrust commission are implemented, Google said, app developers would be forced to pay more.
Because of the rising expense of supporting several versions of Android, the business warned that small developers would be compelled to choose which of the multiple incompatible Android' forks' they produce and maintain applications for in a forked Android ecosystem.
"They will no longer have the level playing field they have today with Android, and larger developers, who can support a wider range of incompatible forks, will be able to dominate the market based on their scale, rather than the quality of their product."
Google in South Asian Market
The number of Google users in India is more than in any other country. According to Counterpoint Research, 97% of the 600 million cell phones used across the nation use Google's mobile operating system.
As of 2020, Google has promised $10 billion in spending in the South Asian region over the following years. Already, it has invested up to $5.5 billion in the local telecom giants Jio Platforms and Airtel.
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