Google has launched a legal challenge in India’s Supreme Court to overturn a verdict by the country’s antitrust watchdog that will require the tech giant to change the way it markets its Android platform, court documents have revealed.
Google was fined $161 million in October by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for abusing its dominating position in the market for Android, which runs 97% of smartphones in India and is a crucial growth location for the U.S. company.
The challenge comes after Google suffered a setback on Wednesday when its request to halt the antitrust verdict was denied by an appeals court. The corporation stated that the CCI’s guidelines would be detrimental to its established business model and customer interests.
According to Supreme Court documents, Google filed an appeal against the tribunal’s decision on Saturday. A hearing date has not yet been set.
Reuters was the first to report on Google’s intended strategy on Thursday.
Sources told Reuters earlier this week that Google views a legal appeal as its last chance to thwart the CCI’s verdict, whose directions requiring the corporation to adjust its business model take effect on January 19.
Saturday’s filing by Google with the Supreme Court aims to halt the CCI decision pending the outcome of its appeal, according to a source familiar with the case.
Google is concerned about the Indian judgement since the remedies ordered are viewed as being more extensive than the European Commission’s 2018 landmark ruling for imposing illegal limitations on Android mobile device manufacturers. Google has contested the record-setting $4.3 billion fine imposed in this instance.