Indian Apps Temporarily Reinstated On Google Play Store, But With Conditions
In a surprising turn of events, Google has announced its decision to temporarily reinstate all Indian apps that were previously removed from its Play Store, along with their billing systems . This move comes amidst a turbulent period of conflict between the tech giant and India's startup ecosystem .
The announcement was made by Google on Tuesday, following a meeting with India's IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw , where representatives from impacted startups were also present.
Vaishnaw expressed, “We have spoken to both Google as well as the startup community. Google has agreed to re-list the apps with the same status as on Friday, 1st March, 2024. Google and India’s startup community will engage with each other to find a long-term solution to all issues in consonance with India’s legal framework…”
A spokesperson from Google clarified that while the reinstatement is temporary, the company will continue to invoice the applicable service fees owed by these apps. The timeline for clearing these dues, however, remains unspecified.
The spokesperson stated, “…we are temporarily reinstating the apps of the developers with appeals pending in the Supreme Court. Google maintains its right to implement and enforce its business model, as established in various courts. We will invoice our full applicable services fees in the interim…”
Impacted apps are required to submit updated versions to Google for review before being restored to the Play Store. This process is expected to take a few days.
Last week, Google had removed numerous apps belonging to prominent Indian developers, including Naukri, Shaadi.com, and 99Acres, citing violations of its billing policies. These violations primarily revolved around the absence of a payment system capable of separating Google's commission from in-app purchases. While some apps were reinstated earlier, they did so without implementing a compliant payments system.
The announcement was made by Google on Tuesday, following a meeting with India's IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw , where representatives from impacted startups were also present.
Vaishnaw expressed, “We have spoken to both Google as well as the startup community. Google has agreed to re-list the apps with the same status as on Friday, 1st March, 2024. Google and India’s startup community will engage with each other to find a long-term solution to all issues in consonance with India’s legal framework…”
A spokesperson from Google clarified that while the reinstatement is temporary, the company will continue to invoice the applicable service fees owed by these apps. The timeline for clearing these dues, however, remains unspecified.
The spokesperson stated, “…we are temporarily reinstating the apps of the developers with appeals pending in the Supreme Court. Google maintains its right to implement and enforce its business model, as established in various courts. We will invoice our full applicable services fees in the interim…”
Impacted apps are required to submit updated versions to Google for review before being restored to the Play Store. This process is expected to take a few days.
Last week, Google had removed numerous apps belonging to prominent Indian developers, including Naukri, Shaadi.com, and 99Acres, citing violations of its billing policies. These violations primarily revolved around the absence of a payment system capable of separating Google's commission from in-app purchases. While some apps were reinstated earlier, they did so without implementing a compliant payments system.
Next Story