Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has expressed the government’s strong opposition to Google’s removal of certain applications from the Play Store.
He stated that the government will not permit the de-listing of apps and has called for a meeting with the tech giant in response to this action.
As per PTI, the Union Minister has said, “Government takes strong view of Google de-listing some apps from Play Store and it will not allow this de-listing of apps.”
This development follows Google’s warnings about removing apps that fail to adhere to its Play Store billing regulations. Google mandates developers to utilize its in-house payment services and pay a 30% commission for in-app transactions, encompassing the sale of digital items and subscription services, as reported by Mint.
“India is very clear, our policy is very clear. Our start-ups will get the protection that they need. I have already called Google. I have already called the app developers which have been delisted, we will be meeting them next week. This cannot be permitted. This kind of de-listing cannot be permitted,” stated the IT Minister.
Additionally, the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has called on Google to abstain from de-listing apps from its Google Play Store.
In a statement, IAMAI advised Google not to de-list any apps from Google Play.
“The affected members of IAMAI are of the view that a substantive hearing of the case is pending before the Supreme Court of India, and Google should not take any coercive action during the pendency of the case,” IAMAI said.
Notably, Google has stated in its reply that a limited number of companies, including established ones, have opted not to remit the Play Store service fee for in-app transactions, resulting in an unjust advantage over the majority of developers adhering to the policy. Google asserted that it offered sufficient time, spanning over three years, for developers to adjust to the policy, with an additional three-week grace period following a recent Supreme Court order.
In the midst of vocal opposition from certain notable Indian startups regarding Google Play’s billing policy and the introduction of the Indus Appstore as a domestic alternative, Google emphasized in a blog post that providing special treatment to a select group of developers, who avoid paying their fair share, results in an imbalanced competitive landscape. This puts all other apps and games at a disadvantage against the majority that complies with the standard payment structure.
“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 said in its blogpost.
(With inputs from PTI)
