Companies like Apple and Google are now facing a reckoning over the 30% cut that they receive from their respective iOS and Android app stores. This cut applies to apps that are purchased as well as in-app purchases like subscriptions and so on. Many developers have since come forward to complain about how expensive it is.
Obviously some developers and companies have more clout than others, and thanks to an unsealed consumer lawsuit against Google, it has been revealed that Google had apparently tried to appease companies such as Netflix by offering them a reduced commission from the Play Store.
The document does not mention how much Google was willing to give up, but the lawsuit claims that this was part of Google’s effort to squash Netflix’s desire of seeking alternative payment systems. The lawsuit also mentions that other big name apps like Spotify and Tinder were seeking alternatives to the payment system offered by the Play Store.
Google has since issued a statement to The Verge saying, “All developers are subject to the same policies as all other developers, including the payments policy. We’ve long had programs in place that support developers with enhanced resources and investments. These programs are a sign of healthy competition between operating systems and app stores and benefit developers.”
That being said, we’re not sure if Apple is trying to quell the lawsuit against it, but the company did recently come forward and announced that developers will now be able to inform their users about alternative purchase methods. Some see it as Apple trying to settle with developers, although there are others who feel that this is not good enough.
Filed in . Read more about Android, Apps, Google and Netflix. Source: theverge
