Google to temporarily restore delisted apps amid payment policy dispute

Tech giant Google said it is temporarily restoring the apps that were previously removed from its app store, Google Play Store, due to non-compliance with payment policies.

“In the spirit of cooperation, we are temporarily reinstating the apps of the developers with appeals pending in the Supreme Court. Google maintains its right to implement and enforce its business model, as established in various courts,” a Google spokesperson said.

“We will invoice our full applicable services fees in the interim and are extending payment timelines for these companies. We look forward to a collaborative effort to find solutions that respect the needs of all parties,” the spokesperson added.

The development comes after Google removed Indian apps such as Shaadi.com, Matrimony.com, Bharat Matrimony, naukri.com, 99 acres.com, and shiksha.com, from Play Store.

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In February, the Supreme Court declined to intervene and did not grant interim relief to the companies responsible for these apps.

On Friday, Google in a blog post highlighted that “for an extended period of time, 10 companies, including many well-established ones, have chosen to not pay for the immense value they receive on Google Play by securing interim protections from court.”

“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,” it said.

The ongoing conflict concerns Google’s imposition of a fee on in-app payments. This comes after the Competition Commission of India ordered the discontinuation of the system, which charged 15% to 30% fee to developers.