Match Group, which owns dating services such as Tinder and OkCupid, sued Google on Monday, alleging that it violated antitrust laws with rules set in the smartphone app store.
Google has leveraged its monopoly on app distribution for Android smartphone software to limit the ability of apps to charge consumers for in-app products using their own payment system, Match Group said in a lawsuit. increase. Instead, Google is forcing developers to use the system if they want to access the Google Play app store, which reduces in-app purchases, the lawsuit said.
The proceedings filed in the US District Court in Northern California are the latest salvo in a long-running battle between app developers and Apple on the other. Technology giants primarily run stores for developers to reach smartphone users and were able to monetize their in-app purchases.
It’s frustrating developers, saying that Google and Apple are essentially taxing their sales. Developers have asked governments around the world to regulate their practices. Some people, including South Korea, have already done so. Congress is considering a proposal to do the same.
Both Google and Apple have changed their practices in recent months to address some concerns, including suggesting lower fees for in-app purchases. However, the developers say these changes are not well underway.
