Meanwhile in India the Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) called Google’s ‘user choice billing’ announcement for ‘select’ developers a clear admission of guilt
Mumbai, NFAPost:
Google on Thursday announced the launch of a pilot programme that allows a few app developers to offer an additional billing system alongside Play’s billing system. The announcement comes even as Google is facing scrutiny on its app stores payment structure by the Competition commission of India (CCI).
In a blog, Google said that this comes as it has allowed additional billing systems in South Korea and in line with its principles, “…we are announcing we will be exploring user choice billing in other select countries.”
Sameer Samat, VP, product management, Google in his blog said: “This pilot will allow a small number of participating developers to offer an additional billing option next to Google Play’s billing system and is designed to help us explore ways to offer this choice to users, while maintaining our ability to invest in the ecosystem. This is a significant milestone and the first on any major app store — whether on mobile, desktop, or game consoles.”
To begin with Google is partnering with Spotify with the new billing system. “Spotify will be introducing Google Play’s billing system alongside their current billing system, and their perspective as our first partner will be invaluable. This pilot will help us to increase our understanding of whether and how user choice billing works for users in different countries and for developers of different sizes and categories,” added Samat’s blog.
ADVERTISING
“We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the close partnership with our valued developers and using their feedback to keep evolving. For example, based on partner feedback and in response to competition, our pricing model has evolved to help all developers on our platform succeed and today 99% of developers qualify for a service fee of 15% or less,” said Samat in his blog.
Meanwhile in India the Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) called Google’s ‘user choice billing’ announcement for ‘select’ developers a clear admission of guilt & an illusion of choice tactic.
Sijo Kuruvilla George, Executive Director, ADIF said, “This is essentially “Google” choice billing and has nothing to do with “user” choice. The fact of the matter remains that this announcement does nothing to address the underlying issues and concerns: the anti-competitive nature of the policy or the impending March 30th deadline for enforcing this policy.”
Backlash from Indian developers and intervention by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) forced Google to extend the Play Billing deadline to October in India. However, for the rest of the world, come March 30, developers will have to pay high commissions and mandatorily use the Google Billing System. It’s about time Google’s high-handedness is put to an end, said the ADIF.
“With their measures and announcements, Google is trying to create an illusion of choice. We at ADIF urge for an extension of choice to all apps and an immediate extension of March 30th deadline for all,” added Sijo Kuruvilla George.
There has been global backlash against both Apple and Google with South Korea recently being the first to take legislative action against the anti-competitive and restrictive practices of app store operators by barring “the act of forcing a specific payment method to a provider of mobile content.”
