Competition Commission conducting inquiries against big tech firms: Govt

Competition Commission is conducting inquiries against Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato, Swiggy, BookMyShow, Apple, WhatsApp, Facebook (Meta) and Google for alleged anti-competitive practices, the government said on Tuesday.

To a query in the Rajya Sabha on whether the government is aware of the fact that anti-competitive practices are indulged by big tech companies like Amazon, Flipkart, Google, Meta, Twitter, Apple, Facebook, Twitter and Google etc in the country, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman replied in the affirmative.

In a written reply, the Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister said the Competition Commission of India (CCI) after conducting inquiries in three different cases, passed orders in the matter related to Google on January 31, 2018, October 20, 2022, and October 25, 2022.

In the matter related to MakeMyTrip-Go and OYO, the order was passed on October 19, 2022.

"Appeals have been filed against these orders passed by CCI. Inquiries against Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato, Swiggy, BookMyShow, Apple, WhatsApp, Facebook (Meta) and Google in matters other than where orders have been passed under Section 27 of the Act, are also being conducted for alleged contravention of the provisions of the Act," she said.

To another query, Sitharaman said the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance examined the subject 'Anti-Competitive Practices by Big Tech Companies' and presented its report to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on December 22, 2022.

On the recommendation of the Parliamentary panel, the minister said the government has constituted a Committee on Digital Competition Law (CDCL) on February 6.

"Terms of the reference of the committee, inter-alia include, to review whether existing provisions in the Competition Act, 2002 and the Rules & Regulations framed thereunder are sufficient to deal with the challenges that have emerged from the digital economy; and to examine the need for an ex-ante regulatory mechanism for digital markets through a separate legislation," she added.