Tech giant Google will change its policies in Europe regarding billing for in-app purchases made on its Android mobile operating system, according to a company blog post on Tuesday.
Game developers will now join app developers in being able to offer alternatives to Google’s billing system for in-app purchases, the blog post said. Both sets of developers can choose to list the option alongside, or instead of, Google’s billing system.
“A number of the new rules involve difficult trade-offs that will impact the people and businesses who use our products,” the blog post said. “We have sought to balance various important issues and engage with relevant stakeholders about these trade-offs as we implement our compliance measures.”
The changes come in response to the EU’s Digital Markets Act, set to go into effect on Wednesday. Google, along with rival Apple, will be required to make changes, under that new regulation, to promote competition to their own payments systems.
While Google is making moves toward alternative payment services in Europe, it clamped down on app developers in India last Friday. As part of a dispute over the fees it charges for in-app payments, the tech giant delisted apps from 10 companies in India, according to a Reuters report. In a blog post, Google said the companies had not paid its fees for an extended period of time, creating “an uneven playing field across the ecosystem.”
Google did not immediately respond to questions about its policies in the EU or India pertaining to in-app purchases and fees.
