ADIF moves CCI against Google’s ‘anti-competitive practices’ in online advertising
CCI) against tech giant Google's alleged anti-competitive practices in online advertising. ADIF has challenged Google's dominant position and «purportedly abusive behaviour» in the online search advertisement and online display advertisement markets.
Google's dominance over major online platforms and its reliance on advertising for the majority of its revenue hinders competition and negatively impacts Indian businesses, a statement by ADIF said.
«ADIF has filed a comprehensive complaint with the CCI, bringing to light Google's alleged anti-competitive practices in the online advertising sphere.
«ADIF contends that Google's control over major online platforms, coupled with the fact that it derives 97 per cent of its revenue from advertising, has led to practices that stifle competition and adversely affect Indian businesses,» the statement said.
Queries sent to Google by PTI did not elicit any response.
ADIF, the policy think tank focusing on Indian digital startups, also voiced concerns about the opacity of Google's ad ranking system, describing it as a «black-box approach» that leaves advertisers in the dark about the services they are paying for.
«ADIF argues that Google's practices regarding trademark usage in keyword bidding create an artificial inflation of advertisement prices. Google allows competitors to bid on trademarked keywords, leading to a bidding war that ultimately benefits Google at the expense of advertisers and trademark owners,» the statement said.
ADIF said inconsistencies in Google's ad
