In September 2020, Google said it would soon require app developers to mandatorily use its own payments system, on which it charges heavy commissions. It soon postponed the new policy to March 2022 and then to October 2022 for developers in India after a huge backlash. Now, India’s competition watchdog has deemed the policy ‘unfair and discriminatory’.
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The Additional Director General of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has found Google’s contentious payments policy for Play Store developers to be ‘unfair and discriminatory’, several sources told us.
The law: Section 4 of the Indian Competition Act states that no enterprise may abuse its dominant position, impose unfair practices for the sale of goods and services, or indulge in practices that limit market access for others.
What’s next? Further hearings on the findings of the probe will begin shortly, the sources said. Google will then have a chance to present its argument, following which a verdict will be given. One of the sources said CII “is quite convinced that the policy will definitely harm developers if implemented”.
There’s more: The regulator also examined allegations that Google manipulated search results to Google Pay and has directed the Reserve Bank of India to look into the matter, the sources added.
