Match group online dating app company He sued v. Google on May 9, alleging that the tech giant created an illegal monopoly on Android by forcing apps to use its billing system.
The Match Group, which owns 45 global dating sites including Tinder, PlentyOfFish and OKCupid, claims Google’s in-app payment policies are anti-competitive.
Google Holding Companies “Hostage”, Suit Alleges
Match Group says in the lawsuit, which was filed in the Northern California District Court:
“Ten years ago, Match Group was Google’s partner. We are now its hostages. Once it had a monopoly on the Android app distribution market through Google Play… Google sought to block alternative in-app payment processing services so it could take a cut from almost every in-app transaction.” on Android”.
Google charges app service fees of between 15 and 30% for in-app purchases as well as monetizing the personal data of its billions of digital app users, according to Group match announcement.
“These exorbitant ‘fees’ force developers to charge users more for their services and leverage the resources they would otherwise invest in our people, technology and features that users demand,” Match Group said in the announcement.
Match set trying free download, Google responds
In response to the lawsuit, Google Released a blog post accusing Match Group of seeking to profit unfairly from Google’s investments in the platform for free.
Google states in the blog post:
After years of reaping the benefits of Google Play, Match Group is doing everything it can to avoid paying for the massive benefits it receives – including abusing the courts, pressuring policymakers and even suggesting that alternative billing systems would exempt them from paying for the valuable services they receive from Google. Play”.
Google refutes the charges, claiming that its fees are the lowest among the major app stores and that the fees cover the full range of Google Play services, not just payment processing.
The response from the tech giant also notes that Android is the only mobile platform that offers alternative distribution options, and that apps are not required for distribution through Google Play.
Featured image: Ascannio/Shutterstock
