After CCI fine, Google pauses requirement for Indian developers

Hit hard by over Rs 2,273 crore fine by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), Google on Tuesday said it has paused the enforcement of the requirement for developers to comply with the Google Play’s billing system in the country.

Developers in India were given an additional extension until October 31, 2022 to comply due to unique circumstances with the payments landscape in the country.

"Following the CCI’s recent ruling, we are pausing enforcement of the requirement for developers to use Google Play`s billing system for the purchase of digital goods and services for transactions by users in India while we review our legal options and ensure we can continue to invest in Android and Play," the company said in an update.

"The requirement to use Google Play`s billing system applies for in-app digital content purchases for users outside of India," it added.

The Indian regulator late last month slapped its second penalty on Google to the tune of around $113 million (Rs 936 crore) for abusing its dominant position with respect to its Play Store policies.

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Earlier, the competition watchdog had imposed a penalty of Rs 1,337.76 crore on Google for abusing its dominant position in multiple markets in the Android mobile device ecosystem.

Google has said that it is committed to its users and developers and was reviewing the CCI`s decision to evaluate the next steps.

"We remain committed to our users and developers and are reviewing the decision to evaluate the next steps," a Google spokesperson had said in a statement.

The regulator found Google to be dominant in the markets for licensable OS for smart mobile devices and market for app stores for Android smart mobile OS, in India.

India is Google's largest market by users.

The tech giant has been given a time of 30 days to provide the requisite financial details and supporting documents.