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Has Google abused its market dominance?

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Sonal Desai
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MUMBAI, INDIA: The market dominance of search engine giant Google has also caused it pain.

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In a shocking observation, the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) investigation arm said that Google abused its market dominance in some instances in the country.

The allegations levelled against Google are serious. The first allegation is that it favours its own products in search results and resorts to discrimination by favouring paid searches.

Other allegations include denial of access to content and imposing of unfair and discriminatory conditions on AdWords customers.

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If the allegations are confirmed by the investigating arm, Google may face similar regulatory battles it’s facing in Europe.

According to The Economic Times, the CCI is sending the findings to Google before announcing a final verdict. Google could face a monetary penalty if the findings are upheld, ET reported.

"The investigations have found Google guilty in one of the cases," a senior unnamed government official told the daily.

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It must be noted that CCI had first received a complaint against Google in 2011, has been examining the allegations for more than three years now.

After finding prima facie evidence, CCI had transferred the case to the Director General of its investigation arm for a detailed probe.

Under competition regulations, an entity found violating norms can be slapped with a penalty of up to 10 percent of its three-year annual average turnover, which in Google’s case can translate to nearly $6 billion.

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