“Google was found to be indulging in practices of search bias and by doing so, it causes harm to its competitors as well as to users,” the CCI said. “Google was found to be indulging in practices of search bias and by doing so, it causes harm to its competitors as well as to users,” the CCI said.

Search engine major Google on Thursday was imposed a fine of Rs 136 crore by the Competition Commission of India for unfair business practices in the Indian market.

The anti-trust regulator, acting on complaints filed by Matrimony.com and Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS) in 2012, said the penalty is being imposed on Google for “infringing anti-trust conduct”. The two complainants alleged that Google is abusing its dominant positon in the search engine market and manipulating search results.

“Google was found to be indulging in practices of search bias and by doing so, it causes harm to its competitors as well as to users,” the CCI said in a 190-page order.

“Google was leveraging its dominance in the market for online general web search, to strengthen its position in the market for online syndicate search services,” the CCI said.

The penalty amount of Rs 135.86 crore translates to 5 per cent of the company’s average total revenue generated from India operations from its different business segments for the financial years 2013, 2014 and 2015, according to the CCI order.

Reacting to the verdict, a Google spokesperson said: “We have always focused on innovating to support the evolving needs of our users. The Competition Commission of India has confirmed that, on the majority of issues it examined, our conduct complies with Indian competition laws. We are reviewing the narrow concerns identified by the Commission and will assess our next steps.”

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