Google Challenges CCI Decision at Supreme Court Following NCLAT Verdict
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) imposed a fine of INR 936.44 Crore on Google in 2022 for anti-competitive practices related to its Play Store policies. The tech giant has now moved the Supreme Court to challenge the order, specifically focusing on the reinstatement of two key data-related directives issued by the CCI.
These directives require Google to disclose its data policies publicly and refrain from leveraging billing data to gain competitive advantage. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) reinstated these directives in May 2023, after initially overturning several preventive measures.
Google argues that the NCLAT's reinstatement of these directives amounts to an improper review of the judgment. The broader dispute involves Google's objection to the CCI’s imposition of data-related obligations as part of its antitrust findings.
The CCI concluded that Google abused its dominant position by mandating the use of its Google Play Billing System (GPBS) for app purchases while exempting its own apps from similar commission structures. The NCLAT upheld this finding, stating that Google imposed unfair and discriminatory conditions on developers through the mandatory use of GPBS.
However, the NCLAT overturned several "ex-ante" (preventive) directions imposed by the CCI on Google, saying that the order exceeded the CCI’s powers under the current regulatory framework. In a subsequent clarification on May 1, 2025, the NCLAT reinstated the two data directives.
Google was also fined an additional INR 1,337.6 Crore for abusing its dominant position in the Indian Android devices segment. The NCLAT set aside the watchdog’s orders on denial of market access and restriction of innovation in March 2025, citing insufficient evidence of restriction on technical development and Google billing services accounting for less than 1% of UPI market share as reasons.
The data-related directives under challenge by Google in the Supreme Court are focused on transparency in data policies and preventing Google's use of billing data to unfairly compete, reflecting the CCI's concern that Google may leverage its dominant position and sensitive data for anti-competitive advantage within the Android ecosystem.
- The dispute between Google and the Competition Commission of India (CCI) over the imposed fine in 2022 for anti-competitive practices extends to the politics of policy-and-legislation, as Google challenges the reinstatement of two key data-related directives in the Supreme Court.
- The CCI's concern over Google's use of data for competitive advantage in the technology industry is evident in the data-related directives under challenge, requiring transparency in data policies and preventing the use of billing data for unfair competition.
- The ongoing legal battle between Google and the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) over the reinstatement of the data directives and the additional fine for abuse of dominant position in the finance and business sectors demonstrates the complexity of policy-and-legislation in the digital age, particularly in the general-news landscape.
