In a recent report Bloomberg highlights that, Google is planning to crack down on all the apps and developers that have avoided the in-app purchase billing rule of the Play Store. In a week or so the whole plan regarding the crackdown will be announced in the form of complete updated guidelines.
Google has to make the developers give the company a cut of all of their in-app purchases, but this rule isn’t applied strictly for big companies like Amazon, Netflix, and Spotify. They all have a separate billing and purchasing system in their apps other than Google's required system.
In-app purchases allow the developers to offer various products within a downloaded game on the Google Play Store or they are providing access to the game content to use the Google Play In-app Billing method as the way of payment.
The report also added that after the announcement of the updated guidelines the developers will be given the time to properly follow them. Apple inc. also responded to the beliefs of the developers regarding the unfair policies related to the in-app purchase a few months ago. The billing system of both Apple and Google is recently disturbed after the release of the Android Fortnite game that requires an update of iOS by the Epic games for downloading the game.
Both of these updates have reduced the 30% margin of both the Apple and Google store that they earn on each purchase. As a result, both the companies had removed the game from their stores to avoid their downloading by their users.
Later on, the Epic games left with no other option for launching the release of their Android Fortnite games on iOS. But now the Epic, which is also a member of the new Coalition for App Fairness, decided to fight for the implementation of changes in the practices of these stores.
Now the Google finally decided to apply the rules to all of its members including Netflix, Amazon, and Spotify which will make them update their apps that reflect their iOS counterparts.
Google needs to enhance its overall revenue stream, by treating all the developers equally as Apple and also have to increase the quality and the level of developer’s support that they provide to their potential users.
Yet still, it is a big question to see exactly how these newly updated guidelines will be applied and how they will be going to differ from the old rules of Google. However, the guidelines of the applications of Google have long been inconsistent based on the size and scope of the developers affected. So, the main aim is to not only change the guidelines but also have to maintain it with consistency.
Read next: Google is bringing some new changes in the Search carousels to modernize and enhance the visual format
Google has to make the developers give the company a cut of all of their in-app purchases, but this rule isn’t applied strictly for big companies like Amazon, Netflix, and Spotify. They all have a separate billing and purchasing system in their apps other than Google's required system.
In-app purchases allow the developers to offer various products within a downloaded game on the Google Play Store or they are providing access to the game content to use the Google Play In-app Billing method as the way of payment.
The report also added that after the announcement of the updated guidelines the developers will be given the time to properly follow them. Apple inc. also responded to the beliefs of the developers regarding the unfair policies related to the in-app purchase a few months ago. The billing system of both Apple and Google is recently disturbed after the release of the Android Fortnite game that requires an update of iOS by the Epic games for downloading the game.
Both of these updates have reduced the 30% margin of both the Apple and Google store that they earn on each purchase. As a result, both the companies had removed the game from their stores to avoid their downloading by their users.
Later on, the Epic games left with no other option for launching the release of their Android Fortnite games on iOS. But now the Epic, which is also a member of the new Coalition for App Fairness, decided to fight for the implementation of changes in the practices of these stores.
Now the Google finally decided to apply the rules to all of its members including Netflix, Amazon, and Spotify which will make them update their apps that reflect their iOS counterparts.
Google needs to enhance its overall revenue stream, by treating all the developers equally as Apple and also have to increase the quality and the level of developer’s support that they provide to their potential users.
Yet still, it is a big question to see exactly how these newly updated guidelines will be applied and how they will be going to differ from the old rules of Google. However, the guidelines of the applications of Google have long been inconsistent based on the size and scope of the developers affected. So, the main aim is to not only change the guidelines but also have to maintain it with consistency.
Read next: Google is bringing some new changes in the Search carousels to modernize and enhance the visual format
