Google appeals Indian ruling over its ads platform, citing consumer harm
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Google appeals Indian ruling over its ads platform, citing consumer harm Aditya Kalra Thu, July 9, 2026 at 6:35 AM EDT 2 min read GOOGL By Aditya Kalra To ensure their ads are promoted by Google and target the right customers, companies bid on keywords that online consumers type into the search engine. Indian bathroom fittings maker Hindware, however, accused its rivals of purchasing keywords related to its brand on the Google ads platform, so that their websites appear at the top of searches when consumers typed in "Hindware". The Delhi High Court ruled against Google in the case, ordering it to pay damages of $31,600 and other litigation costs. In a response to a Reuters request for comment, Google confirmed it is appealing the order, which it said "diverges from established legal precedents in India". It added that its ads policies reflect standard practices that enable competition. Google India's appeal will be heard in the coming days. GOOGLE SELLING SOMETHING IT DOESN'T OWN, JUDGE SAYS If upheld, Indian lawyers and tech experts say the original ruling will have wide-ranging ramifications for how the online ads market operates. Indian matchmaking service Shaadi.com, for example, said that it would change the economics of online ads for millions of businesses that were suffering when their competitors bid on their name and Google took a fee. Justice Mini Pushkarna noted in the decision in May that Google could not be permitted to shrug off responsibility after making a tool available that leads to trademark infringement. "Google has attempted to sell something that it simply does not own," Pushkarna wrote. Google also faces antitrust cases in India as well as legal challenges over AI training and stricter-than-ever content takedown regulations that began applying to tech companies from February. (Reporting by Aditya Kalra; Editing by Joe Bavier)
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