Google changes India app store policy after CCI order

Google on Thursday announced to comply with the Competition Commission of India (CCI)’s recent directives for Android, saying it will allow Android users in India to use third-party billing options starting next month.

Indian users will now have the option to choose their default search engine via a choice screen that will soon start to appear when a user sets up a new Android smartphone or tablet in the country, the tech giant said in a statement.

“The CCI’s recent directives for Android and Play require us to make significant changes for India, and we’ve informed the CCI of how we will be complying with their directives,” said Google.

The original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will now be able to license individual Google apps for pre-installation on their devices.

“We’re updating the Android compatibility requirements to introduce changes for partners to build non-compatible or forked variants,” said Google.

User choice billing will be available to all apps and games starting next month.

Through user choice billing, developers can offer users the option to choose an alternative billing system alongside Google Play’s billing system when purchasing in-app digital content.

The changes come as a Supreme Court bench said that the findings by the CCI cannot be said to be “without jurisdiction or with manifest error” and affirmed the NCLAT order, declining to grant interim relief to Google.

The bench directed the NCLAT to dispose of Google’s appeal by March 31, and granted Google seven days to deposit 10 per cent of the Rs 1,337.76 crore penalty imposed by the CCI.

Google had alleged that the CCI copy-pasted parts of a European court order without examining associated evidence in India.

The CCI has also imposed a penalty of Rs 936.44 crore on Google in a separate case for abusing its dominant position with respect to its Play Store policies.