Google has removed some of India‘s most important applications from the Play Store over its payment issue, sparking a fresh row between the Indian government and Google.
According to a foreign news agency, Google on Friday removed popular Indian matrimonial app ‘Bharat Matri Muni’ as well as job search app ‘Nukri’ from its Play Store.
Google says that these applications did not follow the guidelines regarding service fee payments due to which they have been removed from the Play Store.
India’s Information Technology Minister Ashwani Vaishnu rejected Google’s move, saying that such removal of applications from the App Store would not be allowed.
He said that Google has already been talked to and I will also talk to startups that need to be protected in the country.
The removal of the application from the Play Store has been criticized by several startup companies that have long protested against Google’s modus operandi and even challenged it in the courts.
Google says this service fee is used to improve the Play Store and the Android ecosystem.
Some Indian startups had approached the court against the 11-26 percent service fee charged by Google, but in January and February this year, two Indian courts, including the Supreme Court, upheld Google’s charge of this fee. Permission was granted.
In this regard, Google said in a statement on Friday that some of the Indian companies that received huge amounts of money as payments had decided not to pay us fees from that amount.
The most affected in this regard is the wedding company ‘Matri Money.com’ whose more than 150 applications have been removed from the Play Store by Google.
“All our applications have been removed and are no longer available on the Play Store, which means we are out of business,” said Mauro Gavel Janaki Raman, founder of Matri Money.com, while talking to a news agency on Saturday. .
He said that if all this continues for a long time, our profits will decrease significantly.
Apart from this, the popular application ‘Job’ and a real estate application have also been removed by Google from the Play Store.
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How might the Indian government’s response to Google’s actions influence future regulatory policies for multinational technology companies operating in India?
**Interview with Tech Policy Expert Dr. Riya Sharma on Google’s Removal of Indian Apps from the Play Store**
**Interviewer:** Welcome, Dr. Sharma. Thank you for joining us to discuss the recent development where Google removed significant Indian applications, including ‘Bharat Matri Muni’ and ‘Nukri,’ from its Play Store. Can you provide us with the context behind this decision?
**Dr. Sharma:** Thank you for having me. This situation stems from Google’s enforcement of its payment guidelines for apps available on its platform. Google claims that these applications did not adhere to their service fee payment structure, which is part of their broader policy to regulate in-app purchases and subscription fees. This has sparked controversy, especially given the importance of these apps in the Indian market.
**Interviewer:** What has been the Indian government’s response to this action?
**Dr. Sharma:** India’s Information Technology Minister, Ashwani Vaishnu, has been quite vocal against Google’s decision. He emphasized that such unilateral removals of critical applications would not be tolerated and that the government is committed to protecting the interests of its app developers. This highlights a significant tension between regulatory frameworks of global tech giants and domestic policy.
**Interviewer:** Could you elaborate on what this means for the Indian tech ecosystem?
**Dr. Sharma:** Definitely. This incident underscores a larger issue of sovereignty in digital policy. Indian developers are increasingly reliant on platforms like Google Play for distribution, and removal from such platforms can severely impact their user base and revenue. It also raises questions about fair competition and the power dynamics between local developers and multinational corporations.
**Interviewer:** Moving forward, do you think there will be any lasting implications for Google in India?
**Dr. Sharma:** It’s likely. The Indian government may take a firmer stance on regulating how these platforms operate within its jurisdiction. If the tensions escalate, it could lead to legal challenges or even a push for a more localized alternative to Google Play. This situation is also a reminder for tech companies to be more considerate of local laws and cultures.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, Dr. Sharma, for your insights. This issue is certainly a complex one that merits close attention as it unfolds.
**Dr. Sharma:** Thank you for having me. It will be interesting to see how both sides navigate this dispute in the coming weeks.
