After a tussle with Indian developers, Google cuts Play Store fees
3 years, 9 months ago

After a tussle with Indian developers, Google cuts Play Store fees

The Hindu  

Google does an Apple, but almost after four months. The search giant has halved Play Store commission to 15% for app makers selling their digital products on its marketplace. "We are reducing the service fee Google Play receives when a developer sells digital goods or services to 15% for the first $1M of revenue every developer earns each year," said Sameer Samat, VP, Product Management at Google. But, that did not deter PaytM’s Sharma from gathering a group of 150 smaller developers to counter Google’s dominance with a home-grown mini app store. The pushback from India made Google re-evaluate its plans to mandate new Play Store rules in its second-largest internet market.

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History of this topic

India's Competition Commission starts new probe into Google's app store policies following Winzo’s complaint
3 weeks, 4 days ago

India's Competition Commission starts new probe into Google's app store policies following Winzo’s complaint

Firstpost  

Winzo’s claims that Google, through its Play Store, imposes unreasonable terms on app developers via its Developer Distribution Agreement and Developer Program Policies. These policies create a one-sided relationship that limit developers’ ability to operate fairly in the market This investigation is not Google’s first brush with India’s competition watchdog. The probe centres around allegations that Google’s app store policies …

Fortnite Maker Epic Games Challenges Apple’s Dominance With New iOS App Store
4 months, 1 week ago

Fortnite Maker Epic Games Challenges Apple’s Dominance With New iOS App Store

Wired  

Epic Games today officially launched a rival app store for iOS in the European Union, marking the first time Apple’s own App Store has had to face a serious rival. The Epic Games Store will initially offer Epic’s games, including Fortnite, for users to download onto their iPhones, with plans to start onboarding third-party developers’ games beginning in December. The …

Apple becomes first target of EU’s new digital competition rules aimed at big tech
6 months ago

Apple becomes first target of EU’s new digital competition rules aimed at big tech

Associated Press  

LONDON — European Union regulators on Monday leveled their first charges under the bloc’s new digital competition rulebook, accusing Apple of preventing app makers from pointing users to cheaper options outside its App Store. The European Commission said that according to the preliminary findings of its investigation, the restrictions that the iPhone maker imposes on developers using its mobile App …

Judge weighs proposed changes to Google’s Android app store to prevent anticompetitive tactics
7 months ago

Judge weighs proposed changes to Google’s Android app store to prevent anticompetitive tactics

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — Google is tried to confront the latest in a succession of legal attacks on its digital empire on Thursday as federal judge began to address anticompetitive practices in the app market for smartphones powered by its Android software. The San Francisco court hearing before U.S. District Judge James Donato comes five months after a nine-person jury decided …

Meta, Microsoft, X are teaming up to fight Apple’s plan to open up App Store to other external payment options
9 months ago

Meta, Microsoft, X are teaming up to fight Apple’s plan to open up App Store to other external payment options

Firstpost  

Meta Platforms Inc, Microsoft Corp, X Corp, and Match Group Inc have jointly urged a federal judge to dismiss Apple’s proposed plan to open its App Store to external payment options While Apple maintains it is complying with the court order while safeguarding the privacy and security of its app store users, it continues to seek a revenue share from …

What the DOJ’s antitrust suit against Apple means for everyone with an iPhone
9 months ago

What the DOJ’s antitrust suit against Apple means for everyone with an iPhone

LA Times  

Greater freedom for app developers on the App Store. In 2020, Epic Games sued Apple after it got kicked out of the App Store when its game “Fortnite” was attempting to circumvent Apple’s charge on in-app purchases. “We do not expect any business model changes for now, but Apple clearly is going to have to find a way to eventually …

Probe into Google's Alleged Anti-Competitive Practices Regarding Play Store Pricing
9 months, 1 week ago

Probe into Google's Alleged Anti-Competitive Practices Regarding Play Store Pricing

Deccan Chronicle  

NEW DELHI: The competition watchdog on Friday ordered a probe against Google for alleged anti-competitive practices with respect to its Play Store pricing policy. “The informants are primarily aggrieved with Google's updated payment policies in relation to its proprietary app store -- Google Play Store -- which is alleged to be in violation of the competition law,” said the Competition …

Competition watchdog orders probe against Google for Playstore pricing policy. What's the issue?
9 months, 1 week ago

Competition watchdog orders probe against Google for Playstore pricing policy. What's the issue?

Hindustan Times  

The competition regulator ordered an investigation against Google on Friday for suspected anti-competitive practices regarding its pricing policy on the Play Store. Google under scrutiny for alleged discriminatory payment policies on Play Store The Competition Commission of India said that the informants were primarily concerned about Google's revised payment policies related to its proprietary app store, Google Play Store, which …

Google reinstates Indian apps, will require payment of dues
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Google reinstates Indian apps, will require payment of dues

The Hindu  

Google is reinstating dozens of apps that were delisted by the company on March 1 for resisting the firm’s platform fees on in-app payments, the tech company said in a statement on March 5. “In the spirit of cooperation, we are temporarily reinstating the apps of the developers with appeals pending in the Supreme Court,” a Google spokesperson said, referring …

Indian startups caught in crosshairs as Google raises compliance heat
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Indian startups caught in crosshairs as Google raises compliance heat

New Indian Express  

India’s tech startups and new-age firms seem to have a compliance problem. The latest Google Play Store episode reveals that some startup promoters believe regulations can be bent and rules broken. Google temporarily removed 10 app developers from its Play Store for not complying with its updated payment policy. Google’s action came after some startups moved the Supreme Court challenging …

Google Play Store: 8 out of 10 Indian companies return to the platform
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Google Play Store: 8 out of 10 Indian companies return to the platform

India TV News  

As the battle between Google and Indian startups intensifies, some apps of 8 out of 10 key homegrown companies who are spearheading the fight with the tech giant are already back on the Google Play Store after they complied with the new policy. Google had delisted more than a dozen apps by major Indian digital companies, including Matrimony and Shaadi.com …

Google mulls removing apps by 10 companies in India for not paying service fee
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Google mulls removing apps by 10 companies in India for not paying service fee

Hindustan Times  

Alphabet Inc's Google will enforce action against the apps of 10 companies for not paying a service fee for the usage of its app store platform in India, including potentially de-listing their apps, the tech giant said on Friday. Companies including Walt Disney and Tinder-owner Match have previously sued Google over its policy of imposing a "service fee" of 11%-26% …

Why did Google take action against 10 Indian developers? Here's all you need to know
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Why did Google take action against 10 Indian developers? Here's all you need to know

India TV News  

Google has announced that it will remove some Indian apps from its Play Store. “After giving these developers more than three years to prepare, including three weeks after the Supreme Court’s order, we are taking necessary steps to ensure our policies are applied consistently across the ecosystem, as we do for any form of policy violation globally,” Google wrote in …

PhonePe launches app store to take on Google’s Play Store
10 months ago

PhonePe launches app store to take on Google’s Play Store

Hindustan Times  

Walmart-backed Indian fintech PhonePe on Wednesday launched its app store for Android called Indus Appstore, becoming the first Indian rival to Google’s Play Store. The company is in conversation with multiple phone manufacturers so that the app store can come pre-loaded on different Android cellphones, founder and PhonePe CEO Sameer Nigam said at the launch event in Delhi. “We are …

Apple Is Not Going To Stop Making Money From Apps In These Countries: Here's How
10 months, 4 weeks ago

Apple Is Not Going To Stop Making Money From Apps In These Countries: Here's How

News 18  

Apple is facing major pressure from the European Union over its business practices and the company is ready to comply. As per new reports, Apple is ready to allow third-party apps to run on iOS as demanded in the Digital Markets Act but it will have a special review process in place which will scan for any possible concerns regarding …

Apple Changes Its App Store Policy. Critics Call the Moves ‘Outrageous.’
11 months ago

Apple Changes Its App Store Policy. Critics Call the Moves ‘Outrageous.’

Live Mint  

Apple’s new App Store payment policies are stirring outrage among software developers who say the iPhone maker is skirting the intention of a court ruling. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear appeals Tuesday of an antitrust ruling covering the App Store stemming from a legal dispute between Apple and Epic, developer of the popular videogame “Fortnite." Epic’s chief executive, …

Google's and Apple's walled gardens will survive Epic’s court win
1 year ago

Google's and Apple's walled gardens will survive Epic’s court win

Live Mint  

A San Francisco jury took less than four hours to decide on Monday that Google was running an illegal monopoly designed to exact huge fees from app developers. Epic, which sued both Google parent Alphabet Inc and Apple in 2020, was being kicked out of Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store for attempting to circumvent these app stores’ required …

Epic wins its antitrust lawsuit against the Play Store. What does this verdict mean for Google?
1 year ago

Epic wins its antitrust lawsuit against the Play Store. What does this verdict mean for Google?

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — Google lost an antitrust lawsuit over barriers to its Android app store, as a federal court jury has decided that the company’s payments system was anticompetitive and damaged smartphone consumers and software developers. They sided with Epic, whose lawyer depicted Google as a ruthless bully that deploys a “bribe and block” strategy to discourage competition against its …

Google’s App Store Ruled an Illegal Monopoly, as a Jury Sides With Epic Games
54 years, 11 months ago

Google’s App Store Ruled an Illegal Monopoly, as a Jury Sides With Epic Games

Wired  

Epic says in an unsigned blog post that the “verdict is a win for all app developers and consumers around the world. It proves that Google’s app store practices are illegal and they abuse their monopoly to extract exorbitant fees, stifle competition and reduce innovation.” It called on regulators and legislators to take action to “address Apple and Google strangleholds …

Epic Games wins antitrust lawsuit against Google over barriers to its Android app store
1 year ago

Epic Games wins antitrust lawsuit against Google over barriers to its Android app store

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal court jury has decided that Google’s Android app store has been protected by anticompetitive barriers that have damaged smartphone consumers and software developers, dealing a blow to a major pillar of a technology empire. The nine-person jury in the Play Store case apparently saw things through a different lens, even though Google technically allows Android …

Google loses antitrust fight with ‘Fortnite’ maker Epic Games
1 year ago

Google loses antitrust fight with ‘Fortnite’ maker Epic Games

LA Times  

Braden Dunlap dances with Fortnite’s Tricera Ops, right, and Frozen Red Knight during Comic-Con International’s Preview Night at the San Diego Convention Center in 2019. Google’s mobile app store maintains a monopoly in the market for distribution of programs and payments on its Android software, a federal jury in California has decided, dealing a blow to the technology giant in …

Why Google Was Happy To Pay $147 Million To Get Fortnite On Play Store For Android Users
1 year, 1 month ago

Why Google Was Happy To Pay $147 Million To Get Fortnite On Play Store For Android Users

News 18  

Google has been sharing a lot of interesting details over the past few weeks as the company tackles multiple lawsuits over its business practice. Similarly, Google and Epic Games had discussions around the prospect of getting Fortnite on the Play Store for which Google was willing to pay over $140 million to the developer. Resisting the temptation from Google, the …

Apple’s $1 Billion Headache: Tech giant to get sued by app developers over App Store fees in UK
1 year, 4 months ago

Apple’s $1 Billion Headache: Tech giant to get sued by app developers over App Store fees in UK

Firstpost  

Apple is set to get sued for $1 billion in the UK by over 1500 app developers over the 30% commission it charges on payments made through the App Store. Apple has had to face legal challenges on this issue several times, including the much publicised Epic lawsuit Over 1,500 developers in the UK have initiated a class action lawsuit …

Firms resist Google’s fees on in-app purchases, as non-compliance deadline looms
1 year, 6 months ago

Firms resist Google’s fees on in-app purchases, as non-compliance deadline looms

The Hindu  

Dating and matrimonial apps, OTT streaming apps and ed-tech platforms have come together to pressure Google into removing or vastly reducing commissions the search giant charges for in-app purchases on Android smartphones. Last October, the Competition Commission of India ordered Google, among other things, to “not restrict app developers from using any third-party billing/payment processing services, either for in-app purchases …

Play Store policy breaches to face action
1 year, 7 months ago

Play Store policy breaches to face action

Live Mint  

Google Inc. is set to initiate strict action against Indian apps that fail to comply with its billing policies on Play Store. The announcement follows the controversy over its Play Store policies which led to the Competition Commission of India directing the tech behemoth to allow third-party payment systems for apps on the Play Store. Android apps disseminated via the …

Apple App Store triples payout to developers
1 year, 8 months ago

Apple App Store triples payout to developers

Live Mint  

NEW DELHI :Days ahead of the opening of its first fully-owned retail stores in India, Apple on Sunday said App Store payouts to developers in the country have tripled since 2018. Apple’s first retail store in India is set to open at Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex on 18 April, followed by Delhi’s Select Citywalk Mall on 20 April. Apple India’s …

Apple fined 1 million euros by Paris court over App Store practices
2 years ago

Apple fined 1 million euros by Paris court over App Store practices

The Hindu  

The Paris Commercial Court on Monday fined iPhone maker Apple just over 1 million euros for imposing abusive commercial clauses on French app developers for access to the company's App Store, the court ruling showed. The ruling, seen by Reuters, said there was no need to order Apple, which has a market value of about $2.1 trillion, to tweak the …

App store avalanche forecast as Apple bows to EU demands
2 years ago

App store avalanche forecast as Apple bows to EU demands

The Hindu  

Apple's rivals are positioning themselves as the go-to alternative to its dominant App Store as the iPhone maker prepares to allow others on its devices in the European Union. The bloc's Digital Markets Act will force Apple and fellow tech giant Google to provide space for third-party app stores on their respective iOS and Android devices. Ben Wood, CMO of …

Apple loosens tight grip on App Store pricing
2 years ago

Apple loosens tight grip on App Store pricing

The Hindu  

Apple on Tuesday announced the biggest upgrade to the App Store pricing system since the launch of the shop, allowing developers to charge from 29 cents to $10,000 for their offerings. The enhanced pricing options to be available for all transactions at the App Store by spring of next year were touted along with new capabilities intended to make it …

Explained | Why app store fees are causing a stir?
2 years ago

Explained | Why app store fees are causing a stir?

The Hindu  

The story so far: Claiming that Apple had “mostly stopped advertising on Twitter,” billionaire Elon Musk launched an attack against the iPhone maker on Monday. While the Apple App Store is a globally trusted platform for buying third-party apps, some users might want to access their favourite apps using other payment options, to benefit from lower prices. Developers too want …

Apple’s updated App Store policy only tightens its grip over the marketplace it runs
2 years, 1 month ago

Apple’s updated App Store policy only tightens its grip over the marketplace it runs

The Hindu  

Zacchaeus is an anti-hero in one of the short portions in the Holy Bible. Antitrust regulators in Europe and in Asia have taken steps to pressure Apple to let users make payments externally and to cut the rate it charges for in-app purchase. In Netherlands, Apple has agreed to cut its commission by three percentage points for dating apps and …

Govt imposes Rs 936 crore penalty on Google for exploiting market dominance, using Play Store policies against App developers
2 years, 1 month ago

Govt imposes Rs 936 crore penalty on Google for exploiting market dominance, using Play Store policies against App developers

Op India  

On Tuesday, the Competitions Commission of India imposed a penalty of Rs 936.44 crore on Google for exploiting its dominant position in the market with regard to its Play Store policies. Competition Commission of India imposes a penalty of Rs 936.44 cr on Google for abusing its dominant position with respect to its Play Store policies, apart from issuing a …

Google is reviewing CCI's decision to evaluate next steps
2 years, 1 month ago

Google is reviewing CCI's decision to evaluate next steps

India TV News  

Google was hit hard by two back-to-back fines by the Competition Commission of India, and the tech giant has stated today that it is committed to its users and developers and reviewing the decision to evaluate the next steps. Last week, the competition watchdog imposed a penalty of Rs 1,337.76 crore on Google for abusing its dominant position in multiple …

CCI Imposes ₹936.44 Crore Cost On Google, Says Google Play's Mandatory Billing System For Paid Apps & In-App Purchases Unfair
2 years, 1 month ago

CCI Imposes ₹936.44 Crore Cost On Google, Says Google Play's Mandatory Billing System For Paid Apps & In-App Purchases Unfair

Live Law  

The Competition Commission of India on Tuesday said it has imposed a penalty of Rs. The order has been passed in respect of the "mandatory" usage of Google Play's Billing System, for paid apps and in-app purchases - which the CCI said constitutes an imposition of unfair condition on app developers. CCI Imposes ₹936.44 Crore Cost On Google, Says Google …

In second penalty in a week, CCI fines Google ₹936.44 crore for its Play Store policies
2 years, 1 month ago

In second penalty in a week, CCI fines Google ₹936.44 crore for its Play Store policies

The Hindu  

The Competition Commission of India on Tuesday imposed a penalty of ₹936.44 crore on Google for “abusing its dominant position with respect to its Play Store policies”, in the second such penalty on the internet giant within a week. The regulator noted that Play Store is by far the largest app marketplace connecting app developers with users on Android ecosystem …

Apple hikes prices of apps, in-app purchase rates in some countries
2 years, 3 months ago

Apple hikes prices of apps, in-app purchase rates in some countries

The Hindu  

Apple is increasing the prices of apps and commission on in-app purchases on its App Store for some countries. Developers can change the price of their apps and in-app purchases including auto-renewable subscriptions at any time in App Store Connect, Apple said. Last year, the iPhone maker reduced app store prices for euro zone countries to adjust to foreign exchange …

Google To Cut Fees For App Developers, Allow Them To Use Rival Payment Systems
2 years, 5 months ago

Google To Cut Fees For App Developers, Allow Them To Use Rival Payment Systems

News 18  

BRUSSELS: Alphabet unit Google said it will from Tuesday cut fees to 12%, from 15%, for non-gaming app developers on its Google Play App Store which switch to rival payment systems, as it moves to comply with new EU tech rules. The EU rules known as the Digital Markets Act, which will come into force next year, require tech giants …

Google to allow app developers to use rival payment systems, to cut fees
2 years, 5 months ago

Google to allow app developers to use rival payment systems, to cut fees

The Hindu  

Alphabet unit Google said it will from Tuesday cut fees to 12%, from 15%, for non-gaming app developers on its Google Play App Store which switch to rival payment systems, as it moves to comply with new EU tech rules. The EU rules known as the Digital Markets Act, which will come into force next year, require tech giants to …

Global app installs drop; spending grows marginally
2 years, 5 months ago

Global app installs drop; spending grows marginally

The Hindu  

Worldwide consumer spending on apps grew slightly while downloads fell in the first half of this year. Consumers across the globe spent $65 billion on Apple’s App Store and Google Play combined in the first half of 2022, growing just 1% from the same duration in the previous year, according to Sensor Tower, a research firm. The firm also estimated …

Google to pay $90 million to settle legal fight with app developers
2 years, 5 months ago

Google to pay $90 million to settle legal fight with app developers

The Hindu  

Alphabet Inc's Google has agreed to pay $90 million to settle a legal fight with app developers over the money they earned creating apps for Android smartphones and for enticing users to make in-app purchases, according to a court filing. The app developers, in a lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco, had accused Google of using agreements with …

Dating app owner sues Google over monopolistic practices
2 years, 7 months ago

Dating app owner sues Google over monopolistic practices

The Hindu  

Tinder owner Match Group said it has filed a lawsuit against Alphabet’s Google to obstruct the tech giant from removing its apps from the Play Store. The company, which also owns dating apps like Match, OkCupid, and several others, has alleged that Google has monopolised the Play Store and is now abusing its power by requiring the dating app maker …

Apple Will Allow Apps Like Netflix, Spotify To Use Their Own Payment Methods On iPhones: All Details Here
2 years, 8 months ago

Apple Will Allow Apps Like Netflix, Spotify To Use Their Own Payment Methods On iPhones: All Details Here

News 18  

Apple’s App Store fee for developers is a controversial topic. As a result of action taken by many developers over Apple’s unfair commission on in-app purchases, the company is now allowing “Reader" apps to link to their own payment methods. Apple usually charges developers between 15 percent to 30 percent commission on in-app purchases from apps downloaded from the Apple …

Epic Games Not Impressed With Google's Third Party App Billing System for Spotify
2 years, 8 months ago

Epic Games Not Impressed With Google's Third Party App Billing System for Spotify

News 18  

Epic Games is not impressed with Alphabet-owned Google’s new programme that lets select Android developers test their own billing system. In a statement to The Verge, Epic VP of public policy, Corie Wright said, “Apple and Google continue to abuse their market power with policies that stifle innovation, inflate prices and reduce consumer choice". WATCH VIDEO: Why Smartphones Are Becoming …

Google Is Letting Developers Keep Their Own Billing System For Android Apps
2 years, 9 months ago

Google Is Letting Developers Keep Their Own Billing System For Android Apps

News 18  

Mountain View, California-based giant Google is bringing a pilot to let a small number of developers offer a payment system within their apps in addition to Google’s own payment methods. The company said that Spotify will be the first company to test this new system and will use both its own and Google’s billing systems. It says that the feature …

Apple’s App Store meets its nemesis in the East
2 years, 9 months ago

Apple’s App Store meets its nemesis in the East

The Hindu  

Fourteen years ago, Apple’s co-founder Steve Jobs launched a digital marketplace. Apple said it had paid $21 million to developers within a month since the App Store’s launch. “The money that developers have earned through the App Store will top $100 billion.” That’s about $14 billion into Apple’s coffers, which is just $4 billion short of the company’s iPad sales …

Bill targeting Apple and Google approved by U.S. Senate panel
2 years, 10 months ago

Bill targeting Apple and Google approved by U.S. Senate panel

The Hindu  

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted to approve a bill that would rein in app stores of companies they said exert too much market control, particularly Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google. The measure, Blumenthal noted the 30% cut that Google and Apple take for many app and in-app purchases and subscriptions, saying it was a sign of "monopolistic …

CCI Directs Investigation Into Apple's App Store Policies On Allegations Of Unfair Trade Practices
2 years, 11 months ago

CCI Directs Investigation Into Apple's App Store Policies On Allegations Of Unfair Trade Practices

Live Law  

On Friday, the Competition Commission of India directed investigation into the Apple's App Store policies with respect to allegations of unfair trade practices in India raised by a non-government organisation, Together We Fight Society. Apple's policy to mandate in-app purchases and the restriction imposed on the app developers from selecting payment process system of their choice is also in violation …

Apple asks India’s antitrust watchdog to dismiss apps market case
3 years ago

Apple asks India’s antitrust watchdog to dismiss apps market case

Al Jazeera  

The watchdog reviewed allegations that Apple hurts competition by forcing app developers to use its proprietary system. Apple Inc has asked India’s antitrust watchdog to throw out a case alleging abuse of market power in the apps market, saying it is too small a player in the South Asian country where Google is dominant, a filing seen by the Reuters …

Apple seeks dismissal of India apps market antitrust case, cites tiny market share
3 years ago

Apple seeks dismissal of India apps market antitrust case, cites tiny market share

Live Mint  

Apple Inc has asked India's antitrust watchdog to throw out a case alleging abuse of market power in the apps market, saying it is too small a player in the South Asian country where Google is dominant, a filing seen by Reuters shows. Apple denied the allegations in its filing to the CCI and stressed that its market share in …

Apple seeks dismissal of India apps market antitrust case, cites tiny market share
3 years ago

Apple seeks dismissal of India apps market antitrust case, cites tiny market share

India Today  

The filing by Apple was made after the Competition Commission of India started reviewing allegations that Apple hurts competition by forcing app developers to use its proprietary system which can charge commissions of up to 30% on in-app purchases. Apple denied the allegations in its filing to the CCI and stressed that its market share in India is an "insignificant" …

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