The South Korean Antitrust Regulator fined Google $32 million for preventing mobile games on rival platforms.

Google stated that it will review the KFTC’s final ruling before determining its next course of action.

The antitrust watchdog in South Korea has fined Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, KRW 42.1 billion ($31.88 million, or roughly Rs. 262 crore) for preventing the release of mobile video games on a rival’s platform.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) stated on Tuesday that Google, by requiring video game developers to exclusively release their titles on Google Play in exchange for providing in-app exposure between June 2016 and April 2018, increased its market dominance and harmed the local app market One Store’s revenue and value as a platform.Google stated that it will review the KFTC’s final ruling before determining its next course of action.

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A spokesperson stated, “Google makes significant investments in the success of developers and we respectfully disagree with the KFTC’s conclusions.The KFTC claimed that the action taken against the US technology behemoth is a result of government efforts to guarantee free and open markets.

Among the smaller businesses impacted by Gogle’s move are Netmarble, Nexon, and NCSOFT, the antitrust regulator added.The KFTC fined Google more than 200 billion won in 2021 for preventing specialised versions of its Android operating system.

Top startups in India requested earlier this month that the nation’s competition watchdog launch an investigation into Google for allegedly circumventing an antitrust directive by charging a high service fee for in-app payments, according to a filing.

The Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) filing was the latest confrontation between Google and Indian startups, who have long blasted the US company for enforcing unfair business restrictions that disadvantage smaller players.The 15-page confidential March complaint by ADIF stated that “Google’s policy change of charging service fee even on transactions processed by third-party payment processors… has detrimental consequences for users and app developers.”

Google, which declined to comment, previously stated that the service fee supports investments in the Googl Play app store and the Android mobile operating system, ensuring that it is distributed for free, and covers developer tools and analytic services.