Google disputes Android antitrust ruling – Reuters

US giant wants India's Supreme Court to block ruling that forces Google to change its business model there, news outlet reports

Google has filed an appeal in India's Supreme Court seeking to block a decision by the country's antitrust regulator against the company’s Android platform, Reuters reported on Saturday, citing court documents.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) in October last year fined Google 13.38 billion Indian rupees ($161.95 million) for alleged anticompetitive practices with respect to its Android operating system. For instance, it found that, by requiring smartphone makers to pre-install its entire Google Mobile Suite, the US tech giant was abusing Android’s market dominance, and the CCI ruled that the practice must end.

The US company later disputed the ruling at an appeals tribunal, arguing that adjusting its business practices according to the CCI's decision may harm its business model and consumer interests. However, earlier this week the tribunal refused to block the antitrust decision.

Supreme Court records seen by Reuters show that Google filed a legal challenge against the tribunal ruling on Saturday, with no hearing date yet set. According to the news outlet's sources, Google sees the appeal at the Supreme Court as its last chance to block the CCI ruling, which comes into force on January 19.

READ MORE: India slaps Google with antitrust order

India is Google’s largest market by user volume, with its Android system powering 97% of the country’s smartphones and its online payment platform Google Pay the most popular among smartphone users.

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