Google Halts Play Store Billing System After CCI Action

Google on Monday halted its policy that requires app developers to use its Google Play billing system for buying digital goods and services in India. 

The move from Google came after two huge fines by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for flouting competition norms in the country. The company had previously set a deadline of 31 October 2022 for developers in India to comply with its payments policy which brought a lot of criticism to it.

In a statement, Google said, “Following the CCI’s recent ruling, we are pausing enforcement of the requirement for developers to use Google Play’s billing system for the purchase of digital goods and services for transactions by users in India while we review our legal options and ensure we can continue to invest in Android and Play. The requirement to use Google Play’s billing system applies for in-app digital content purchases for users outside of India.” 

On 20 October 2022, the CCI had also fined Alphabet Inc's Google Rs 1,338 crore for anti-competitive practices related to Android mobile devices. 

Googel had given out a statement after CCI’s ruling that it is reviewing the decision. The company is expected to challenge both CCI rulings in the country’s courts.

The competition watchdog is also looking into Google's business conduct in the smart TVs market and its in-app payments system.