Is Google facing less scrutiny in India than Facebook?

 Google has mostly avoided controversies that have plagued its rival Facebook in India. What is the reason for Google enjoying a gentler political environment despite its size? Listen to this podcast

The Indian subsidiaries of two of the largest digital ad behemoths, Google and Meta Platforms, have reported their results for the last fiscal. Meta’s Indian unit Facebook India Online Services saw its gross advertising revenue grow 41% to Rs 9,321 crore as the pandemic boosted the growth for digital ad platforms. Digital marketing has become a centerpiece in the growth strategy of corporations.
In comparison, Google India’s gross advertising revenue soared 21% to almost Rs 13,900 crore, cementing its dominance. Together, the two platforms control more than 70% of India’s digital advertising market.
One can agree that Google has become increasingly critical to our lives, more than Facebook. 98% of Indian smartphones are powered by Android and Google’s search engine needs no introduction. Companies rely heavily on its non-advertising services such as the Google Workspace that provides a host of collaboration and productivity tools as well as its cloud services. While Google’s tools are seen as critical internet infrastructure, Facebook mostly provides a platform to air our views.
While Facebook has been a favorite whipping boy, Google remained under the radar despite being a platform for several objectionable contents including the dark web and objectionable content.
Facebook invited a lot of political scrutiny over its activities. More recently, when a whistleblower alleged that Facebook struggled to police hate content in India, the Parliamentary Panel on Communications and IT headed by MP Shashi Tharoor questioned company officials over it.