#BYMEspresso☕: Google vs Indian Authorities
India’s Competition Commission last week fined Google a combined $276 million for monopolistic practices in the markets.
India’s Competition Commission last week fined Google a combined $276 million for monopolistic practices in the markets for app stores and mobile operating systems and called for the company to open its Play store to third-party payment systems or risk further regulatory wrath.
Google has now kind of complied with the demands of the Competition Commission (CCI), by indefinitely extending the deadline by which developers must comply with its payment requirements.
The company is also certainly aware of Epic Games' case against Apple over the former entity's desire to offer its own payment facilities and numerous regulatory probes worldwide that are considering whether app store operators are unhelpful monopolies.
Pausing its compliance requirements in India is not, therefore, in any way an act of altruism.
Instead, it reflects local realities, as global policymakers are shunting Google and Apple towards opening their app stores to more payment players.