CCI closes startup body's complaint against Google, refrains from probe
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The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has decided against launching a probe into the Alliance of Digital India Foundation 's (ADIF's) complaint against tech giant Google 's alleged anti-competitive practices in the practices in online advertising , and has closed the matter.The startup body had essentially challenged Google's alleged dominant position and "purportedly abusive behaviour" in the online search advertisement and online display advertisement markets.In an order dated August 1, reviewed by ET, the antitrust regulator, however, said, 'ADIF hasn't pointed out any specific part of any policy or conduct of Google in support of its claim that the allegations made in the present matter also extend to Google's Online Display Advertising services'.'Therefore, in light of there being no supporting evidence to such claim, the Commission does not deem fit to take cognizance of such claim of ADIF,' it said.As for some other allegations by the ADIF, the regulator said it had addressed similar issues in certain earlier cases and 'no purpose would be served by inquiring into the same issue yet again without there being any material change in circumstances being pointed out'.The regulator added that re-investigating the same issue again 'would simply lead to a wastage of time and resources of the public exchequer'.The Commission has stressed that it has 'examined in detail the averments made by ADIF and the submissions thereto made by Google, on all the issues related to alleged unfair and discriminatory conditions imposed by Google upon advertisers as part of its Google Ads Policies' before reaching its conclusion.It also said that all the four instances of alleged unfair and discriminatory conditions imposed by Google upon advertisers as part of its Google Ads Policies as raised by ADIF in the present matter, 'have already been examined in substance and set to rest by the Commission in its previous decisions in Matrimony case (supra) and/ or Vishal Gupta case (supra)'.'The Commission is not convinced with the reasons stated by ADIF for distinguishing its allegations from the issues examined in previous orders passed by the Commission. As per the clear language of Section 26(2A) of the Competition Act, the issues examined in the previous order may be 'the same' or 'substantially the same',' it said in the order.'Therefore, the present matter is directed to be closed forthwith in terms of the provisions of Section 26(2A) of the Act,' it added.
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