In recent times, Apple has come under criticism from developers for its App Store policies. The App Store guidelines force developers to use Apple's own payment system and also share 30 percent of the generated revenue with the company. Google also has similar guidelines for the Play Store but major developers like Spotify, Netflix, and others bypass them by prompting users to directly pay via a credit card. Google has turned a blind eye to these moves from developers so far but it looks like that's about to change.
A Bloomberg report claims that Google is going to update the Play Store guidelines as early as next week and make it clear that apps must use the company's billing service for in-app purchases, subscriptions, etc. This would also mean that developers will have to share 30 percent of their generated revenue via such transactions with Google. The company will give developers time to adhere to its updated guidelines and won't remove apps in violation of the guidelines immediately from the Play Store.
A Google spokesperson said in a statement that the company allows multiple app stores on Android devices.
“As an open platform, Android allows multiple app stores. In fact, most Android devices come with at least two stores right out of the box, and users can install others. For developers who choose to distribute their apps on Google Play, our policy has always required them to use Play’s billing system if they offer in-app purchases of digital goods. We are always working with our partners to clarify these policies and ensure they are applied equitably and reasonably.”
Apple generates billions of dollars in revenue every quarter via such transaction fees from the App Store and it looks like Google is also now also looking to tighten its grip around the Play Store to generate more revenue from it.
Source: Bloomberg
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