CCI Expands Investigation into Google AdTech Over Dominance Abuse

India's Competition Commission (CCI) has widened its probe into Google’s AdTech practices, adding a 2024 complaint from the Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) to 4 existing cases, as per news reports. The investigation centres around Google's alleged anti-competitive activities in India’s digital advertising space.

Fresh Allegations Merged into Wider AdTech Probe

In an order dated August 1, CCI expanded its ongoing investigation into Google’s AdTech ecosystem by integrating the latest complaint from ADIF. This collective probe now covers issues related to online display advertising, AdTech intermediation, and the company’s dominance in the search advertising market. ADIF, comprising Indian digital firms like Paytm and MapmyIndia, claims Google leverages its market position to stifle competition.

Breakdown of Complaints and CCI’s Response

ADIF’s 2024 complaint was previously split into three parts: one focused on AdTech stack abuse, another on search advertising policies, and a 3rd involving non-transparent ad review procedures. While the AdTech concerns have entered the expanded probe, the CCI has dismissed the complaint related to Google Ads’ search policies, citing duplication of earlier findings, such as those in the Matrimony case, as the reason.

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Ongoing Antitrust Challenges for Google in India

This is not Google's first encounter with CCI. In 2022, it was fined ₹936.44 crore for Play Store policy violations and ₹1,337.76 crore for abusing dominance in the Android ecosystem. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) later reduced a portion of these penalties, though it upheld the infringement. In April 2025, CCI accepted Google's ₹20.24 crore settlement in the Android TV case.

CCI's Directive and Google’s Response

CCI has now instructed its Director General to conduct a consolidated investigation based on overlapping allegations from ADIF and previous digital news publisher complaints. Google stated it is reviewing the decision but remains confident its advertising practices comply with Indian competition law.

Conclusion

CCI's move to club newer complaints with previous investigations intensifies scrutiny on Google's AdTech operations in India. These developments form part of ongoing regulatory efforts to address market dominance and ensure fair competition in the online advertising landscape.

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