India Antitrust Probe Finds Apple Abused Position in Apps Market

Everyone wants Google's distribution, but no one wants to pay for it. Everyone wants Google to stop doing what it's doing, but no one wants to invest in an alternative. Alternatives, if any coming up, from India will be of cheap quality. Does anyone remember what happened to BharatOS, or what's happening with Krutrim. What these app developers are not realising is that, their business is more or less happening because Android as an OS is there. It's not just about play store. I wonder why they're not cribbing against the Apple app store. Could the rates be lower? Yes. But what's in it for Google or Apple when that entire section of business is because of them? No one is stopping anyone from building a new OS, a better one. As long as a good quality one is not coming up, everyone will have to rely on Google or Apple. It feels really bad when the founders try to make it a national issue as well 🤦🏻‍♂️ Oh, and even if a new OS comes up, I wonder how they're going to sustain it, plus make people choose that without the availability of other apps.

- The Competition Commission of India (CCI) found Amazon India and Flipkart guilty of violating competition laws by favoring select sellers on their platforms. - Both companies will have the opportunity to review the report and file objections before fines are decided. - The CCI's investigation, initiated in 2020, revealed that preferred sellers received advantages such as better listings and deep discounts. - The watchdog noted that these practices had a catastrophic impact on market competition, especially in the mobile phone segment. - This development follows multiple legal challenges and a Supreme Court ruling allowing the investigation to proceed. Source: [Inc42](https://inc42.com/buzz/cci-finds-flipkart-amazon-india-guilty-of-flouting-antitrust-rules/)

- Epic Games and Spotify are leveraging new European regulations to bypass Apple's control over the App Store. - Epic Games announced the launch of an alternative app store for iPhone users in Europe, starting with three games. - Spotify has begun directing European users to its website for subscriptions, a move previously restricted by Apple. - Apple is facing similar regulatory pressures in the U.S., with ongoing legal battles and high fees for alternative payment systems. - The European Commission has criticized Apple for not fully complying with digital-competition laws, threatening significant fines. Source: [WSJ](https://www.wsj.com/tech/epic-games-apple-app-store-europe-44ceda50?mod=tech_lead_story)

Few apps delisted are names such as Shaadi.com, OTT platform STAGE, social media app FRND. This might be temporary and these companies would get it live again, but is shd make us think the monopoly Google and apple has made in their respective ecosystem, Need of open and transparent third option , Google has a very high commission on transaction made via Play Store, Spotify had this issue earlier as well

Now on this post just let me highlight few points as read from CCI vs google legal battle. 1. Google incentivize all the android manufacturere to not preload any app store(eg: thats why samsung store is laying like a undercontructed producted ). 2. To pre load any of google aap the OEM has to put all the apps that google want or esle play security wont pass. 3. You can not host any app which redirect to another app store or behave like app store on play store. As you can see how google used android , a "open source" eco system to force this google play billing system. Now android occupy 94% of user base here so its either on play store or you miss market. Sideloading is errered with crazy level of steps and warnings to prevent on play store app deployment. And as a bonus as google TnC say you can use 3rd party billing for "digital services" why is youtube still on play store it dont use google play billing system. Also google want the payment details of every transaction. Basically it want to study next profitable business to either buy it or clone it and with transaction details its much easier.