The CCI released early findings of an investigation into the app store and the payment system. It was found that the Play Store billing system for app developers is unfair.
The 30% commission for app developers in India was supposed to be enforced in 2020, but was delayed due to an uproar from the country's startup community. The company agreed to delay the policy until this month. The nation's government was lobbied by Indian developers to stop them from being able to charge a high fee. The developers believed that since the Play Store is where the phones are, it gave them an unfair advantage over other payment systems.
There is concern in India about whether the new payment service from Google will compete with the United Payments Interface (or UPI) apps, which allow users to directly debit payments from their bank accounts using just a virtual address. UPI payment apps are the most popular way for Indians to make payments online. Critics say that the control of the Play Store and the operating system of theAndroid gives it an unfair amount of control over India's digital payment system.
India's antitrust regulator echoed similar concerns over the conduct of the company.
India's antitrust agency has not finished its investigation into Google. The tech giant may have to pay fines or change its policies.
In India, the search giant has come under fire for its developer fees and the potential threat it poses to domestic payment platforms. All Play Store developers would have to integrate with the payment system by October 2022.
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