Google Play EU Developers Promote Offers Outside App
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Google Updates Play Store Policies to Comply with EU’s Digital Markets Act, Aims to avoid Penalties
By Victoria sterling, Pulitzer Prize-winning Chief Editor
Google is making significant changes to its Play Store policies in the European union, responding to concerns raised by EU regulators regarding compliance with the digital Markets Act (DMA).These updates, announced Tuesday, aim to address concerns about self-preferencing and ensure fairer competition within the app ecosystem.
The DMA, which took effect on March 6, 2024, is designed to prevent large tech companies from abusing their market power. Google’s moves come as the EU investigates both Google Search and the Play Store for potential violations of the Act.
The core of the update centers around the “external offers program,” initially launched in March 2024 to comply with the DMA. Google is now expanding this program to offer developers more flexibility in how they reach customers. Developers of apps distributed through the Play Store will now be able to directly link users in the European Economic Area (EEA) to external offers, including promotions for in-app features and services, while still adhering to Google Play’s payment policies.
“As part of our continued compliance with the EU Digital Markets Act, we have made additional updates to our external offers program to offer more flexibility for developers while balancing trust and safety needs across the ecosystem,” Google stated in a recent support post.
This means developers can now guide users outside of the Play Store app to explore option offers, possibly on their own websites or through rival app stores. However, developers must still meet Google’s eligibility requirements, enroll in the program, and abide by existing payment policies and associated fees.
The changes are not happening in a vacuum. Bloomberg reported that these updates are a proactive attempt by Google to preempt potential fines and penalties from EU regulators. Similar pressure has led Apple to make changes to its App Store, while simultaneously launching a legal challenge against the EU’s regulations.
These updates, rolling out this fall, represent a significant shift in how Google operates its app store within the EU, reflecting a growing trend of regulatory scrutiny and a push for greater fairness in the digital marketplace. The move underscores the increasing power of regulators to shape the behavior of tech giants and protect consumer choice.