Google has stopped providing updates to the popular messaging app Kakao talk In South Korea, according to A local report, after Kakao continued to use an external payment link in the Android app, in contravention of Google’s new in-app payment policy. Google’s new policy requires developers who sell digital goods and services to use Google’s first-party billing system, but Kakao uses an external link to his website.
This is the first time that Google has prevented PlayStore users from updating an app after a new payments policy went into effect last month. KakaoTalk can be updated on other application operators such as Apple App Store And the one store, According to a local media report. Two important questions now will be whether Google will turn its attention to stopping updates to other apps that similarly provide external push links, or go a step further and continue to remove them altogether.
Google Books in A note detailing the new in-app payment policy. “Apps that use an alternative in-app billing system will need to be removed in order to comply with the Payments Policy… Beginning June 1, 2022, any app that is still incompatible will be removed from Google Play.”
The Google He said Last year, it would comply with South Korea’s alternative billing regulations by allowing Android app developers to use third-party payment options, but to offer them alongside Google Play’s billing system after the country passed In-app payment law – The first of its kind in the world – in August of last year. This law is clearly referred to as the “Anti-Google Law”.
However, developers cannot add links pointing to their websites within their apps, allowing their users to purchase directly, bypassing Google billing entirely.
South Korean app developers and content providers have increased their paid subscription and service fees on Google Play due to the heavy commissions of 15-30% now required following Google’s policy changes.
Korea Communications Commission said in April Banning app developers from using the weblink payment option would breach South Korea’s app payment law that requires app store operators to allow third-party payments. KCC told TechCrunch last month that it will monitor Google to see if it removes any app against its new policy.
Apple announced last week that developers will have to file a separate binary for iOS and iPadOS “distributed only to the App Store in South Korea” to use a third-party payment system for the App Store in South Korea.
TechCrunch reached out to Kakao who did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Google’s move. Google did not respond to requests for comment.