Competition Commission of India orders Google inquiry after news publishers complain

India's Competition watchdog on Friday ordered an investigation into Alphabet Inc's Google following allegations from the Digital News Publishers Association, saying there was a need to ensure digital companies do not abuse their dominant position.

“In a well-functioning democracy, the critical role played by news media cannot be undermined, and it needs to be ensured that digital gatekeeper firms do not abuse their dominant position to harm the competitive process of determining a fair distribution of revenue amongst all stakeholders, “ Competition Commission of India said in its order.

The association has alleged that Google had 'abused' its dominant position in news aggregation leading to advertising losses for publishers, to the extent that they receive only 51% of the advertising spend.