Ahead of the crucial Supreme Court hearing on Monday in Google’s appeal in the Android case, the tech giant has warned that the Competition Commission’s directive in the Android ruling of October 20 last year could make smartphones “more expensive” for Indian consumers.
In a blogpost titled “The Heart of the Matter”, Google highlighted how the implementation of CCI’s ten non-monetary directions could hinder the growth of the Android ecosystem in India.
Google has only time till January 19 to implement the CCI directions, else it may have to change its business model, which, according to the tech giant, could adversely impact India. The last attempt is to get a stay from the Supreme Court, the hearing of which is to be held on Monday.
Google mentioned in the blogpost that it has deeply partnered with India over the last several years of its exciting digital transformation. “However, at a time when only half of India’s population is connected, the directions in the CCI order strike at the wider efforts of the ecosystem to accelerate digital adoption in the country.”
more expensive smartphones
With the CCI order also allowing Android forks to be allowed, the tech giant has warned of the impact of incompatible Android forks that do not support the security and user safety features provided by Google.
“Since the incompatible Android fork will no longer support the security and user protection features provided by Google, the security responsibilities for these devices will fall to the OEMs, who will find themselves forced to invest extensively in making frequent, year-round security upgrades.” will be required.
This will result in higher costs for OEMs, and consequently, more expensive devices for Indian consumers”, the blogpost said.
National Security
Google has also warned that when there are many different and unique versions of Android (so-called ‘forks’), it harms the consistent and predictable ecosystem that has benefited users and developers for over 15 years.
Devices built on incompatible ‘forks’ will prevent Google from protecting those devices, as these versions will not support the security and user protection features Google provides.
Lack of robust and frequent security upgrades will leave users of those devices exposed to cybercrime, bugs and malware – which is most troubling for the millions of new internet users who are particularly vulnerable.
“Predatory apps from India and other countries exposing users to financial fraud, data theft and many other threats on the Internet.
While Google holds itself accountable for apps on the Play Store and scans them for malware as well as compliance with local laws, the same checks may not be in place for apps sideloaded from other sources.
The tech giant’s blogpost said that uncontrolled proliferation of such apps on less secure devices could lead to massive exposure of Indian users’ data and threat to personal and national security.
What is the danger now?
Google has highlighted that the measures ordered on Android strike a blow to India’s digital adoption acceleration efforts.
“India has seen a tremendous growth in the number of people coming online through smartphones. As we look beyond the estimated 700 million users who are already online, security, affordability and expanded use cases for the next wave of users will be the pillars that determine digital adoption. Unfortunately, the remedies provided on Android Strike run in these same areas”, it added.