CCI orders investigation into Google’s app policies: Allegations of unfair practices, market abuse

Winzo Games Pvt. Ltd. filed the complaint under Section 19(1)(a) of the Competition Act, 2002, accusing Google of abusing its dominant position under Section 4 of the Act.

It alleged that Google’s Developer Distribution Agreement and Developer Program Policies favored Daily Fantasy Sports and Rummy apps while excluding other real money games. Google defended its policies, citing compliance with Indian gambling laws.

However, CCI confirmed Google’s dominance and found its practices, including unfair ad policies, to violate competition laws. While deferring its decision on sideloading warnings, the CCI ordered an investigation into Google's conduct under Section 26(1) of the Act.