suit
Match group (MTCH) This is the latest antitrust complaint to be filed
The Google (The Google) After years of scrutiny of its business practices. The lawsuit, which was filed in US District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that Google not only has a monopoly on distributing Android apps but also forces app makers to accept contract language that locks them in with in-app payment technology and requires them to pay a fee to Google.
“These exorbitant fees force developers to charge users more for their services and take advantage of the resources they might invest in our people, our technology, and the features that users demand,” Match Group said in its report.
advertisement. “In addition, monopolizing the in-app payments market will strengthen Google’s near-total control of the Android ecosystem.”
In a statement, Match Group CEO Shar Dubey called the complaint a “measure of last resort,” adding that Google had told Match that its apps would be removed from the Google Play Store at the beginning of June unless Match adheres to a rule introduced in 2020 that requires apps to It exclusively uses Google’s in-app payment processing.
“By insisting on the exclusive use of Google Play billing, Google seeks to include itself as an intermediary between users and developers, and prevents Match Group from providing direct service to its customers on many important issues,” the company said, arguing that Google “left us no choice but to take Legal action “.
In response, Google said
In a blog post On Monday, Match Group is simply trying to get rid of paying for the services Google offers as part of its platform.
Google said the vast majority of apps on the Google Play Store pay no fees, and Match Group apps are among 3% on its platform. Furthermore, Google added, Match had “plenty of time” to adapt to the changes announced by Google in 2020.
“As a platform, we always look to work in good faith with partners to grow and develop the ecosystem, but we will stand firm against false attacks on our business, especially when they put users at risk and jeopardize our ability to continue investing in and serving the developer community,” wrote Wilson White, Vice President of Google for government affairs and public policy.
The Match Group suit is similar to that made by Epic Games, the maker of “Fortnite,” which has sued both Apple and Google over similar claims.
else publica federal judge ruled in favor of Apple and against Epic, although its decision is under appeal.
Big tech companies including Apple and Google have reduced some of their app store fees in recent years, amid growing complaints from app developers and policy makers. This year, for example, Google lowered its fee for in-app subscriptions from 30% to 15%. In 2020, Apple announced a new version
Young Developer Program That reduces their commissions to 15%.
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