Google's Game-Changing Move: Third-Party Billing Services for Apps and Games now Allowed!"
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) fined Google last year for limiting third-party payment services and was also looking into the company for other anti-competitive practices. Google has to alter its contracts with phone manufacturers and relax the rules for users after its recent request to the Supreme Court to block CCI's orders was denied.
The ability to use third-party billing services for apps and games will be available to Android users in India beginning the following month. A choice screen will be available to them during setup so they can select a different default search engine. Despite the fact that other areas have implemented similar regulations, these specific rules only apply in India.
Manufacturers of smartphones will be able to purchase licenses for specific Google apps to ship the devices with already pre-installed copies of those apps. Previously, manufacturers were compelled to bundle the entire Google suite.
Google is working on implementing the following changes for the time being, but it will continue to contest CCI's ruling.
OEMs will be able to purchase licenses for specific Google apps to be pre-installed on their devices.
Android users have always had the option to personalize their devices to suit their tastes. When setting up a new Android smartphone or tablet in India, users will soon be presented with a choice screen where they can select their default search engine.
The Android compatibility requirements are being updated in order to allow partners to create forked or incompatible variants.
Beginning the following month, all applications and games will support user choice billing. Developers can give users the option to use a different billing system in addition to Google Play's billing system when they buy in-app digital content by implementing user choice billing.
Android has always supported installing apps from a variety of sources, including sideloading, which entails downloading apps directly from a developer's website. We recently modified the Android installation process and auto-updating functionality for sideloaded apps and app stores while making sure users are aware of any potential security risks.
Recently, Google also bowed to CCI pressure and permitted the listing of third-party app stores on the Google Play Store (see the Reuters report for more information).
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