Reuters deep reporting in India has led to a string of exclusives on antitrust probes into Google, Facebook and Amazon.
Reuters was first with the news yesterday that Google is facing a new antitrust case in India in which the U.S. tech giant is alleged to have abused its Android operating system’s position in the smart television market. The reporting started with a tip-off from a source about a new case against the tech giant, which reporters Aditi Shah and Aditya Kalra in New Delhi verified over time. Finally, the reporters tracked down the two lawyers who had filed the case and confirmed the story ahead of publication.
The Google case it the fourth major antitrust challenge in the country and comes as the company faces new antitrust challenges in the United States, and a potential probe in China that Reuters exclusively revealed last week, which is set to look into how it allegedly uses its dominance of its Android mobile operating system.
“The biggest challenge we faced for this story was to verify and understand the complex allegations against Google in India’s smart TV market. We spent days nailing the details before approaching the company,” said Aditi Shah, a Senior Correspondent who worked on the story.
The latest stories build on Reuters extensive antitrust reporting in India since last year. Reuters reporters in New Delhi have broken news on the subject through sources and confidential case filings, antitrust orders and investigations.
In May, Reuters revealed the antitrust watchdog was looking into allegations that Facebook’s WhatsApp was abusing its dominant position by offering payment services to its messaging app users, a case which was later dismissed. Reuters was also first to report that a group of 2,000 online sellers had filed a challenge against Amazon in India for alleged antitrust practices.
The series of stories came after extensive coverage on Google’s previous antitrust cases last year on alleged abuse of the Android platform and more recently allegations around its payments app. Reuters also wrote a series on stories on the antitrust raids and the subsequent investigation in India of some of the world’s biggest brewers, including AB InBev and Carlsberg, during 2018-2019.
“Antitrust stories are exciting to break as they are like best-kept secrets but have immense news value. We spend significant time vetting our reporting given the sensitivities and the potential impact on companies and investigations,” said Aditya Kalra, a Special Correspondent in New Delhi who closely tracks big antitrust cases.
For more on where Reuters has been first and fast with market-moving scoops, exclusive interviews, investigative reports and insightful commentary, visit Reuters Best.
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