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Google Play Crackdown Makes Amazon and Others Pull Digital Purchases (arstechnica.com) 39

Posted by msmash from the closer-look dept.
The great Google Play billing crackdown is finally here. From a report: Developers selling digital goods inside their Android apps all need to switch to Google Play billing, or they will be locked out of the Play Store. This has technically always been the rule at Google Play, but it went mostly unenforced until Google gave developers a deadline of September 2021 to get on board. The company then delayed the transition by letting app developers request a six-month extension, which ran out on March 31. So it has been a few days now -- what's different?

The Verge reports that Amazon and Barnes & Noble are both complying with Google's rules. Amazon can sell whatever physical products it wants on its own billing system, but the company's Audible division sells digital purchases, which means it's Google Play or the highway. Amazon has responded by pulling digital book purchases from the Android Audible app. A new support page entry says, "Starting with the Audible for Google Play Android app version 3.23, purchasing titles with a debit or credit card in the app is no longer supported." While you can no longer make a la carte purchases, Amazon decided to let Audible subscriptions run through Google Play. Android app signups before April 1 go through Amazon, and after April 1, they'll need to go through Google.
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Google Play Crackdown Makes Amazon and Others Pull Digital Purchases More

Google Play Crackdown Makes Amazon and Others Pull Digital Purchases

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  • ...is contagious and gave Google aircover to be be equally monopolistic on Android apps.

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by mccalli ( 323026 )
      Amazing. A story which literally doesn't mention Apple at all and has no link to its ecosystem, yet the first post is "blame it on Apple".

      • Re:Apple Greed on Getting Paid for Anything... (Score:4, Informative)

        by taustin ( 171655 ) on Monday April 04, 2022 @01:32PM (#62416754) Homepage Journal

        Apple are the ones who established the whole concept of an app store that is a walled garden. And spend quite a lot of money to defend it in court.

        • So let me get this straight. It's the fault of Apple that google copied the same business plan?

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by GoTeam ( 5042081 )
            Also getting blamed because they exploited the legal system using massive amounts of $. Sure, that makes Apple/Google/Microsoft/The March of Dimes scummy, but the politicians are at least as scummy for not fixing the exploits. I prefer not to blame the people who vote for scummy politicians... because

            • > the politicians are at least as scummy for not fixing the exploits

              They have no incentive to and every incentive not to.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by PPH ( 736903 )

            It's the fault of Apple

            They went to court, got all of the legal precedents established and tweaked their TOS to protect their business plan. Now Google just rides in on their coattails.

          • I think he means that we should blame Apple for capitalism.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by mccalli ( 323026 )
          I mean, they aren't - Nokia and Ericsson both had a contemporary App Store idea, with Nokia's Ovi coming out just a month after the Apple one (at least in beta). Jobs didn't even want native applications on the iPhone originally [appleinsider.com] and assumed you'd be programming web sites for it with HTML controls.

          When Jobs gave in, they established the App Store to massive praise for developers. Yes 30%, but you no longer needed to pay your own distribution costs, payment engines...all good. And then time went on, the be

      • Re:Apple Greed on Getting Paid for Anything... (Score:4, Insightful)

        by saloomy ( 2817221 ) on Monday April 04, 2022 @01:37PM (#62416784)
        I thank Apple. Imagine, one place to manage all your purchases, returns, payment methods, and security. No longer will we have to give out CC info to every App that wants to charge for something. Amazing. The products are neither over priced, nor scarce. There are a plethora of apps and content available, so nothing of value is lost on the consumer.

        This fight is really just within the software industry. The marketplace and the content creators are fighting for payment gateway status. I prefer the marketplace, especially in Apple's case. The privacy implications, and ease of customer service far surpasses what the developers would be providing their customers. Do I think 30% commission is high? Yeah, I do. But their platform, their rules. The consumers know the terms and conditions before making the purchase of the devices, and the developers know the rules before engaging in development for said platform. Don't like the rules of this platform? Offer something more compelling. We are all free to vote with our time (developers) and wallets (consumers), and rules (platforms). We do not need government to come in and coerce either party into terms they do not want, that the market will bear. Right now, the market is more than willing to bear the cost of the commission, as evidenced by the massive amount of content available and the willingness of the consumers to spend a fuck-ton of money through the App Store. Please, lets not cry because Google is putting its screws to Amazon. Amazon, as I recall, have their own phone and App Store too. Right?

        • But, I want the government to force Apple to do things the way I want them to!

          Wahhh wahhh!

        • One place to disconnect you if they don't agree with your content. Yeah, that's a nice world you have there.

        • sports books / online casinos / lotto is not haveing 30% of funds going to apple or google.
          There is no way that any state will let them take that kind of cut and under the rules in place for them they do not handle funds at all.

        • I can choose Apple or Google. There are no other real options for phones. So when both platforms do the same thing that I don't like, how exactly do I vote with my wallet?
          • https://www.microsoft.com/en-u... [microsoft.com]
            https://docs.tizen.org/platfor... [tizen.org]

            Also, if you don't like the arrangements in the marketplace, and you can convince some people that you can do better, give it a shot! Steve Jobs did. Make your own software, contract manufacturing out to someone. Pay royalties in the patents, and best of luck in the marketplace.

            • Unfortunately Surface Duo uses Android and the Google Play store. Tizen's app store has been discontinued, and from it looks like Samsung has given up on their Tizen line of phones.

              LOL, no way I could do it better. That doesn't mean I can't criticize the current structure.

              • You can criticize them. I do. I don't expect you to (and I would be vocal against) championing the government to step in and regulate it though.
                • I mean, regulation is needed, but it just depends. Not all regulation is good (or bad). The point I'm making is that, when there is basically a duopoly like we have now, I frankly have zero power to affect any kind of change or alternatives. What's the answer here? I'm not sure, but it's not within my hands.

        • No longer will we have to give out CC info to every App that wants to charge for something.

          You give out your CC info? What's wrong with you? I've never used a CC on an app. Not in the Play Store, not when ordering food delivery, not when buying on Amazon or Ebay, not when buying Pokemon passes from within the app.

          If you have problems with credit cards (as you should) why not address the problem rather than begging for a middle man to come in and take a cut.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by tepples ( 727027 )

            How does that work? Do you walk into a physical retail store and pay cash for gift cards for each service?

      • Well it does strike me as odd that google wants to be a profiteering middleman since they don't actually add any value, such as quality control. The vast majority of apps on google play literally do not work. (I assume many could work on some past or future version of Android than what my phone has).

        The Apple store is at least more like a store and less like a dumping ground.

        Digital anarchy is cool too, but don't try to charge me for it.

        • > Digital anarchy is cool too, but don't try to charge me for it.

          Hey, that's what F-Droid is for. ;)

          It's actually really useful with 3rd party repos. Briar is a good example.

      • On one hand, Google can't blame their actions on anyone else ultimately, so this is not Apple's fault.

        On the other hand, Google must be emboldened by Apple's continuing to get away with their payment system restrictions, so it's easy to see the relation to Apple here.

        So you're right about whose fault it is, but not about Apple not being peripherally involved.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by splutty ( 43475 )

      But otherwise Google would go bankrupt! They need that source of income to support their store!

      I highly doubt Apple has anything to do with this at all, aside from using the same reasoning :P

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by taustin ( 171655 )

        But otherwise Google would go bankrupt! They need that source of income to support their store!

        They won't go bankrupt, but if they don't make enough, they'll shut down the app store like they have so many other projects.

  • I have subscribed to most of the streaming services from time to time, usually binge watching and rotating. I prefer to sign up directly with the provider rather than having a middle man take a cut.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by hey! ( 33014 )

      When the provider is Amazon, I confess I'm conflicted about cutting out the middle man.

      • I smell a lawsuit again. Somehow, someway this will wind up with a federal judge in California arguing over rounded corners and icons.

    • I like not giving my credit card or other personal info to some yahoos that I have no trust in. It's why I use paypal whenever possible since it limits what I share.

      So it's a mixed bag; in some cases we wouldn't mind handing over payment details, but in other cases it is more responsible not to.

  • Very redently, Apple got fined 50 million euro by the Dutch authorithy for consumers and markets, for doing the same thing with dating apps...

  • While I don't use Audible, I certainly buy a lot of Kindle books and they are digital content - will they be affected?

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