In a shocking turn of events for popular OTT apps ALT Balaji and Aha Video, tech giant Google has removed their apps from its Google Play Store. The move comes after these apps failed to comply with Google’s payment policy regarding its Play Store.
The apps were delisted from the Google Play Store late last evening. Stage OTT is another OTT app that was delisted from the Google Play Store. Other well-known apps that faced Google’s action include Anupam Mittal’s Shaadi.com; popular Info Edge owned apps Naukri.com, Naukri Recruiter, Naukri Gulf, Jeevansathi, 99 Acres, Shiksha; Bharat Matrimony’s Muslim Matrimony, Christian Matrimony, Kerala Matrimony; music app Kuku FM; and dating apps TrulyMadly, QuackQuack.
Info Edge founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani said that this action was taken by Google without giving due and sufficient notice. Anupam Mittal termed it as a dark day for Indian internet. The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) too condemned the removal and urged Google to reinstate the apps. Aha Video said that it is working hard to resolve this issue and will provide an update as soon as possible.
The matter has been in the Supreme Court for some time now. Developers felt that Google’s payments terms are too steep for them, going up to 15% for the top 60 developers. The Supreme Court, however, dismissed the developers’ case and asked them to comply with Google Play Store’s payments policy. The next hearing on the case is scheduled for 19th March.
Google, on its part, said that it has given developers more than three years to prepare for the new payments policy, including three weeks after the Supreme Court’s order. It wrote in a blog post – “We always try to work with developers to help them through our policies and find feasible solutions, allowing this small group of developers to get differential treatment from the vast majority of developers who are paying their fair share creates an uneven playing field across the ecosystem and puts all other apps and games at a competitive disadvantage”.
Google also disclosed that over 200,000 Indian developers using Google Play adhere to its policies. It’s only a small group of the delisted developers that has an issue with the new payments regime.
It is to be noted that previously downloaded apps on users’ devices will work just fine. It’s only new downloads that will not be possible for the delisted apps as of now.
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