As India prepares to revamp its laws that govern the regulation of Big Tech giants, the world’s most influential social media platforms are bracing for a tense second half of 2023 globally. Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta and Microsoft plan to step up legal battles and intensify investigations starting this summer in Europe and North America. Concerted efforts to eliminate antitrust practices in the Internet ecosystem are coming from regulators on both sides of the Atlantic.
Steps taken overseas to align Big Tech companies with fair play practices have been accompanied by the Indian government’s proactive initiative to find ways to democratize India’s vast internet market. India, whose online space is dominated by Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft, is about to roll out its highly anticipated Digital India Act.
The effort, led by India’s Minister of State for Computing and Electronics, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, aims to persuade tech companies to shed tendencies to monopolize India’s digital market.
The ongoing antitrust action in the Western world follows a historic development in India late last year. The decision by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in October to impose an unprecedented fine of Rs 1,338 crore on Google for its alleged monopoly influence in the use of its Android operating system appears to have set the wheels in motion abroad.
The big fights of the Big Five
California-based Alphabet is facing regulatory scrutiny on five fronts. Under its CEO Sundar Pichai, Alphabet owns Google, YouTube and Android OS, among other widely used digital platforms. One of the major Big Five in the tech world, Alphabet is currently facing five major investigations or lawsuits, which are expected to draw attention in the coming months.
Germany’s Federal Cartel Office, the country’s national antitrust regulator, is simultaneously conducting two serious investigations against Alphabet. In an investigation, the regulator accused Google’s company of reaching the special abuse control threshold. In the other investigation, Google was accused of introducing anti-competitive restrictions on its Google Maps platform.
In the United States, Alphabet faces two serious investigations. In one, the Texas state attorney accused the company of collecting biometric data without consent. In another ongoing lawsuit against Alphabet, the US Department of Justice has teamed up with eight state prosecutors to file a lawsuit against the tech giant for allegedly abusing its monopoly power in digital advertising. to ward off competitors.
Mexican regulators have also attacked Google’s parent company, investigating Alphabet for alleged anti-competitive practices in the country’s digital ecosystem.
Amazon, founded by Jeff Bezos, is also facing a few high-profile actions – one in the US and one in Britain. In the UK, the Competition and Markets Authority has taken legal action against the US company, which could result in a potential fine of up to £1 billion ($1.26 billion). The lawsuit alleges that Amazon is using a secret algorithm to dominate the UK online market. In the United States, Amazon is being questioned by the Securities and Exchanges Commission Scrutiny about how it protects and uses third-party data.
Led by CEO Tim Cook, Apple is facing a flood of major investigations – in Britain, the EU and Brazil. CADE Brazil, the South American country’s regulator, has accused Apple of abusing its dominant position in the market for its mobile app store. In Britain, the Competition and Markets Authority has launched an investigation into Apple’s dominance using its popular mobile browser, Safari. And in the EU, the European Commission is investigating Apple on two separate fronts: for allegedly restricting rivals’ access to NFC chip technology for phone payments, and for an antitrust complaint filed by the Swedish platform audio streaming, Spotify.
Facebook owner Meta, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, has been taken to court by the US Federal Trade Commission. The allegation asserts that Meta’s purchase of VR startup, Within, is an example of anti-competitive behavior.
Microsoft, led by CEO Satya Nadella, is facing a serious investigation by the European Commission. The EU authority is said to be examining its practices in a case brought by Salesforce’s workplace messaging app, Slack.
Dedicated antitrust hawks in the US and EU
All of these ongoing actions, especially the investigations, are being closely watched and investigated by high profile antitrust hawks appointed on both sides of the Atlantic. As Lina Khan, appointed head of the Federal Trade Commission by US President Joe Biden, oversees antitrust cases against America’s Big Tech giants, EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager is tackling corporate scrutiny technology in the EU.
Predictably, Ravneet Kaur, who recently took over as head of India’s antitrust regulator CCI, believes in a collaborative approach in the global fight to democratize the internet. In recent remarks to Indian media, Kaur reportedly said, “Collaborating with international competition authorities and organizations to promote global competition principles, share best practices, foster cooperation in cross-border competition cases and present the work of the ICC will be encouraged. .”
A spokesperson for the Digital News Publishers’ Association (DNPA), an umbrella body that represents the digital branches of India’s major media outlets, welcomed Kaur’s call for international coordination. “While India is making the right choices in trying to strengthen and protect the evolving rights of internet users and all other stakeholders in the digital landscape, such measures can be more effective with appropriate cooperation with regulators. other countries,” the DNPA spokesperson said.