Google Countersues Dating App
Google is suing the dating app Match Group over claims that it’s abusing its power in the Play Store. The legal battle between the two companies started last month when Match Group—which owns Tinder and OkCupid—sued Google for allegedly infringing upon its policies for app developers by changing how users pay for paid apps. If you’ve ever tried to buy something on an app and gotten a message saying, “Your payment failed,” then you know what I’m talking about. But beyond that minor inconvenience, this drama raises some serious questions about whether Google has too much control over our digital lives.
Google is countersuing dating app Match Group in a fight over Play Store policies.
The internet giant has countersued Match Group (MTCH) in a fight over Play Store policies. Google claims that the dating app, which also owns Tinder and OkCupid, violated its terms of service with its recent lawsuit against the company.
Google alleges that Match Group filed suit in response to a billing policy change requiring developers to provide upfront information about how they plan to use user data and services. According to Reuters, the company said it is seeking damages from Match Group for “falsely representing” that Google changed its rules without notice or proper justification.
Match Group sued Google last month, claiming that the change in billing policy constituted monopolistic behavior and abuse of power. The lawsuit asked for $500 million in compensation for lost revenue and an injunction against any further changes from Google affecting Match Group’s dating apps until there was more transparency between both parties regarding their business practices.
Match Group (MTCH) sued Google last month, claiming that the change in billing policy constituted monopolistic behavior and abuse of power.
Match Group (MTCH) sued Google last month, claiming that the change in billing policy constituted monopolistic behavior and abuse of power. The company owns several dating apps, including Tinder and OkCupid, which use Google’s new rules to make more money from users.
The complaint states: “MTCH will suffer harm because it cannot recoup lost revenue from its business partners.” It goes on to say that MTCH is seeking $1 billion in damages for lost revenue due to the changes made by it.
If Tinder users want to upgrade to a premium service, they’ll have to do so within the app.
Google is trying to corner the paid dating app market. The company said it would continue offering complimentary premium services for users who want to upgrade their Tinder accounts, but doing so will be more complex. Users will have to go through several steps to make purchases within the app, including providing their credit card information and entering a PIN code.
These efforts obviously aim to make it more difficult for Tinder users who want premium features from other companies (like Bumble). Google also said they’re working with Apple and Amazon “on alternative mobile payment options.”
Google removed apps from the Play Store that didn’t follow the new policy and threatened to ban accounts that don’t comply with it.
it has been removing apps from the Play Store that don’t follow its new policy and threatening to ban accounts that don’t comply.
The company announced earlier this month that it would begin enforcing stricter policies around apps on its Google-owned app store, which has over 2 million apps in total. It’s meant to help users find the content they want and prevent them from being bombarded with unwanted ads and promotions. The goal is also to ensure developers follow guidelines to be paid appropriately for their work.
In August 2019, Google announced a new policy requiring all new apps submitted to its Play Store to include privacy information disclosed in a standard format before publication (even if you aren’t required by law). This way, users can easily understand how your app collects personal data when installed on their devices, such as name, email address, or phone number–and what you use it for after installation (such as location services).
This is shaping into another antitrust battle over whether Google has too much power on the internet.
Google has been accused of abusing its power in the past and has been fined for doing so. In 2018, European Commission regulators imposed a record 2.4 billion euros fine on Google for favoring its shopping service when displaying ads to consumers. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission hit Google with a $22 million fine in 2013 for deceiving users about their data tracking practices.
 the Competition Commission of India launched an investigation into whether Alphabet-owned companies Google India and YouTube violated local competition rules by abusing their dominant market position to promote their services at the cost of other businesses’ content and products.
Conclusion
It’s not surprising that Google is facing antitrust charges. In a world where people are becoming increasingly reliant on technology, it’s only natural for them to be concerned about how much power any company has over their lives. With so many other options available now, there’s no reason why someone shouldn’t at least consider using something else if they don’t like the way Google does things.
