Google is tightening its Play store policies for app developers, making sure all in-app purchases are subject to its billing policies and 30 percent commission in order to avoid any accusations of favouritism. The company also announced that the next version of the Android operating system would make it easier for Android users to access other app stores than Play.
The update follows recent criticism of Apple and Google over the commissions they charge to distribute apps on their platforms. Google said it listened to developer feedback and wanted to clarify its existing policies and create new opportunities for app makers.
While there is no change in the billing policy, the company said it would be enforcing the 30 percent commission on paid apps and in-app purchases more. Google stressed that less than 3 percent of developers on the Play store are required to pay the commission, and it found that only around 3 percent of those developers had not been paying. The company put this down to a lack of clarity in its terms and conditions, and so the language in the payments policy has been updated to be more explicit that all developers selling digital goods in their apps are required to use Google Play’s billing system. The affected developers will have one year, until 30 September 2021, to update their apps in order to adopt the payment system and collect the commission.
In an update on the Android developers blog, Google's VP for product management Sameer Samat also underlined that all apps on Play - both Google's and third-party apps - are subject to the same treatment. The same standards and algorithms are used to decide which apps to promote on Google Play and how they are ranked. Google has also always allowed Android users to choose their own apps and app store, with most Android devices shipping with two app stores pre-installed and consumers free to download others. "This openness means that even if a developer and Google do not agree on business terms the developer can still distribute on the Android platform," Samat said "This is why Fortnite, for example, is available directly from Epic's store or from other app stores including Samsung's Galaxy App store."
To make it easier for customers to access other app storefronts on their devices, Google promised changes in next year's Android 12 release. The changes will be "careful not to compromise the safety measures Android has in place", the company said, without providing further details on the planned changes.
