Last year, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) fined Google for restricting third-party payment services and also investigated the company for other anti-competitive behavior. After Google’s recent Supreme Court petition to block CCI’s order was denied, Google will have to change its contracts with phone makers and loosen its rules for users.
Starting next month, Android users in India will be able to use third-party billing services for their apps and games. You can also choose a different default search engine using the selection screen during setup. These specific rules apply only in India, but similar rules have been introduced in other regions.
Smartphone makers are allowed to license individual Google apps to be pre-installed on the devices they ship. Previously, manufacturers were forced to bundle the entire Google suite.
While Google will continue to appeal the CCI’s decision, we are currently working to implement the following changes.
- OEMs can license individual Google apps to pre-install on their devices.
- Android users can always customize their device to their liking. Indian users will now have the option to choose their default search engine via a selection screen that appears as soon as the user sets up her new Android smartphone or tablet in India.
- We’re updating Android compatibility requirements to introduce changes for partners building incompatible or forked variants.
- User Choice Billing will be available for all apps and games starting next month. User Choice Billing allows developers to give users the option to select a billing system other than Google Play’s billing system when purchasing in-app digital content.
- Android has always supported installing apps from various sources, including sideloading apps directly from developer websites. We recently made changes to Android’s installation flow and auto-update functionality for sideloaded apps and app stores to help users understand potential security risks.
A few days ago, Google also agreed to allow third-party app stores to be listed on the Google Play store under pressure from CCI (see Reuters report for details).
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