Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Ending dominance: On Competition Commission of India’s ruling against Google

Ending dominance: On Competition Commission of India’s ruling against Google

Mobile users of digital powerhouses such as India need an environment of real choice

The recent order of India’s competition regulator against Google for abusing its dominant (प्रभुत्व, प्रमुखता, प्रधानता) position in the Android mobile device ecosystem (पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र) is significant not just for the amount of penalty imposed (थोपना, प्रभाव डालना) but also for the drastic changes in business practices that it requires the IT giant to undertake. On Thursday, the Competition Commission of India imposed a penalty of about ₹1,337 crore, said to be a provisional amount, on Google, while coming down heavily on it for having such restrictive clauses in its agreements with original equipment manufacturers (who use its Android platform) that it can keep competition at bay. And because of such agreements, the order said, “Google ensured that users continue to use its search services on mobile devices which facilitated (सुविधा देना, सुगम बनाना) un-interrupted growth of advertisement revenue for Google.” It, therefore, concluded that the whole idea of Google imposing such restrictions on its device partners was to “protect and strengthen its dominant position in general search services and thus, its revenues via search advertisements”. This decision, both the penalty and the regulator’s direction to Google “to modify its conduct”, will be welcomed by anyone who realises the power of the big IT platforms to shut out competition and, therefore, choice for the users.

Significantly, it will not be business-as-usual for Google, as the regulator has issued a cease and desist order (विराम और वांछनीय आदेश) against it, according to which it will have to drastically change the terms of the deals it enters into with original equipment manufacturers. For instance (उदाहरण), as per the Competition Commission order, Google should not henceforth (अब से, भविष्य में, अब से आगे) force original equipment manufacturers to choose from its bouquet (गुलदस्ता, फूलों का गुच्छा) of apps to pre-install on the device. Nor should it, the order says, require device makers to pre-install its apps such as Google search, Chrome, YouTube, Maps, among others, as a precondition for licensing of its Play Store. It also has been directed against restricting users from uninstalling its pre-installed apps. One of the requirements, in fact, targets Google’s primary revenue generator. It says, “Google shall allow the users, during the initial device setup, to choose their default search engine for all search entry points.” These, among a slew (निहत, अनेकता, मोड़, दलदल) of such requirements, could well mean that Google will have to tweak its business model in India. Google has termed the order a “major setback” for Indian businesses and consumers, saying it opens up security risks while also possibly raising the cost of mobile devices. While the option of legal review is open, it is to the regulator’s credit that Google’s anti-competitive practices have been called out. What the mobile users of a potential digital powerhouse (A person, group, team or the like, having great energy, strength, or potential for success) such as India need is an environment of real choice.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Dominance (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रभुत्व, प्रमुखता, प्रधानता
English Meaning - Control or influence.

2.Ecosystem (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र
English Meaning - A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

3.Impose (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - थोपना, प्रभाव डालना
English Meaning - Take advantage of someone by demanding their attention or commitment.

4.Facilitate (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - सुविधा देना, सुगम बनाना
English Meaning - Make an action or process easy or easier

5.Uninterrupted (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निरंतर, लगातार, बराबर
English Meaning - Discontinued or hindered.

6.Cease and Desist Order (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - विराम और वांछनीय आदेश
English Meaning - An order by a government agency to a person or corporation to refrain from a business practice found by the agency to be unfair or illegal.

7.Instance (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - उदाहरण
English Meaning - A case or occurrence of anything.

8.Henceforth (Adverb)

Hindi Meaning - अब से, भविष्य में, अब से आगे
English Meaning - From this point forward.

9.Bouquet (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - गुलदस्ता, फूलों का गुच्छा
English Meaning - A bunch of flowers.

10.Slew (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - निहत, अनेकता, मोड़, दलदल
English Meaning - A large number of things.

11.Powerhouse (Noun)

English Meaning - A person, group, team or the like, having great energy, strength, or potential for success.