IAMAI urges Google to reinstate delisted Indian apps, seeks consultation

Google started taking down Android apps from prominent Indian digital companies including Matrimony, Info Edge, Shaadi.com for violating its app billing policy on March 1

The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), a premier industry body that counts top Internet companies as its members, on March 1 urged Google to reinstate the delisted apps by prominent Indian digital companies on Play Store.

The industry body, of which Google India is also a member, condemned the company's move to remove apps from Indian companies such as Matrimony, Info Edge, Shaadi.com, and TrulyMadly.

It also asked the tech giant to engage in consultations with the industry body or member companies to find "mutually agreeable solutions till the matter is subjudice", referring to the Supreme Court case against Google's app billing policy.

In a statement, IAMAI's governing council called the move "unfair and disproportionate." Matrimony, Info Edge, and Shaadi.com are among 24 members of the governing council.

Google's app billing issue was one of the main reasons that domestic tech members of IAMAI had rallied for the overhaul of the association's governing council in May 2023.

The governing council now comprises only Indian founders with Dream11's Harsh Jain as the chairperson. Earlier, Google's country head and vice president Sanjay Gupta was the chairman. In September, the industry body also formed a 40-member task force to decide the course of action to be taken on the issue.

On Mar-1-2024, Google purged over a dozen of Android apps by Indian app developers from Play Store, hours after the Android maker stated that it will take action against 10 developers that had chosen not to comply with its payment policy, despite adhering to the payment policies of other app stores.

Among other companies whose apps were taken down include streaming platforms Altt, Stage, and Aha, dating app Quack Quack, audio content platform Kuku FM, and social networking app FRND from Play Store.

"We’ve always respected local laws. For years, no court or regulator has denied Google Play’s right to charge for the value and services we provide...While some of the developers that were refused interim protection have started fairly participating in our business model and ecosystem, others choose to find ways to not do so" the company said in a blog post.

This development came after the Supreme Court refused to pass an interim order protecting internet firms such as Matrimony.com, Shaadi.com from being delisted from Google's Play Store on February 9, 2024 and listed the case for hearing on March 19.

App developers had approached the Supreme Court against Madras High Court's order that had dismissed its plea challenging Google's enforcement of its app billing policy.

"After giving these developers more than three years to prepare, including three weeks after the Supreme Court’s order, we are taking necessary steps to ensure our policies are applied consistently across the ecosystem, as we do for any form of policy violation globally" Google said in the blogpost.

Granting a select group of developers preferential treatment over others who are already in compliance would result in an "uneven playing field" across the ecosystem, placing all other apps at a "competitive disadvantage", the company said.

Google claims that over 200,000 Indian developers using Google Play currently adhere to its policies.

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