google: Here’s why the company behind Tinder is suing Google

Google’s Play Store policies often irk many developers. Epic Games has been in a dispute with the tech giant over Fortnite. And now it looks Match Group is also locking horns with Google. Match Group is the company behind popular dating apps like Tinder and OkCupid. According to a report by The Verge, Match Group is suing Google and claims that the tech giant has “illegally monopolised the market for distributing apps” on Android phones. Match believes that Google forces apps to use its own billing system and then ends up taking a hefty cut on the payments.

Why is Match suing Google?

The report by The Verge quotes the complaint filed by Match Group. In the complaint, Match Group has stated that, “Google lured app developers to its platform with assurances that we could offer users a choice over how to pay for the services they want. However, Match Group says that, Google rode on the “coattails of the most popular app developers” and monopolised the market. “Google sought to ban alternative in-app payment processing services so it could take a cut of nearly every in-app transaction on Android,” notes the complaint by Match.
Match Group further said that by monopolising the in-app payment market Google benefits a lot as it has access to users’ personal information which it can use to its advantage.

What does Google have to say about the issue?

According to The Verge, a Google spokesperson said that “This is just a continuation of Match Group’s self-interested campaign to avoid paying for the significant value they receive from the mobile platforms they’ve built their business on. Like any business, we charge for our services, and like any responsible platform, we protect users against fraud and abuse in apps.” Google further said that Match Group is “eligible to pay just 15% on Google Play for digital subscriptions, which is the lowest rate among major app platforms. But even if they don’t want to comply with Google Play’s policies, Android’s openness still provides them multiple ways of distributing their apps to Android users, including through other Android app stores, directly to users via their website or as consumption-only apps.”
Earlier in March, Google did confirm that it will begin testing a way where apps can use their own in-app payment system. What it didn’t make clear was whether it will still get some cut from it or not.