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India joins EU in investigating Google over Android antitrust concerns

India joins EU in investigating Google over Android antitrust concerns

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It’s unclear what issue the commission is investigating, though

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Illustration by William Joel / The Verge

India has reportedly ordered an investigation into Google over Android antitrust concerns, according to a report from Reuters. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) reportedly began exploring the issue last year before reaching a decision in April to begin a full investigation.

Another antitrust investigation for Google

Details on the actual investigation are slim since the CCI’s order for a full investigation hasn’t been made public. It comes on the heels of the EU’s similar investigation that led to a $5 billion fine for the internet giant, which asserted that Google was using the dominance of Android and the Play Store to unfairly push Google search on competitors. Google was also hit with a $2.7 billion fine from the EU for violating antitrust laws in 2017 by manipulating shopping search results and a $1.7 billion antitrust fine over AdSense contracts earlier this year.

In the wake of the Google search fine, Google has promised to give Android users in Europe clearer choices of browsers and search engines on their devices. At this time, it’s not clear if the CCI’s investigation is exploring the same issue or if the commission has different antitrust concerns related to Google’s mobile operating system. It’s possible that Google could enact similar policies in India, depending on the results of the investigation.

For now, though, there’s not much to do but wait. Reuters notes that the probe will take about a year to fully investigate.