Google Blog: Visit the new Chrome Web Store. “Inspired by our Material You design language, the new store has fresh color palettes, updated card styles and improved icon legibility that all better complement Chrome’s overall look. You’ll also see new extension categories, like AI-powered and shopping extensions, and ones that are more tailored to your interests based on what you’ve previously downloaded.”
The Verge: A secret Google deal let Spotify completely bypass Android’s app store fees. “On the stand, Google head of global partnerships Don Harrison confirmed Spotify paid a 0 percent commission when users chose to buy subscriptions through Spotify’s own system. If the users picked Google as their payment processor, Spotify handed over 4 percent — dramatically less than Google’s more common 15 percent fee.”
The Verge: What is Google trying to hide in its deal with Spotify?. “Is there something Google doesn’t want the world to know about its deal with Spotify? That’s what Google attorney Glenn Pomerantz suggested in Fortnite court this morning. Pomerantz argued that the court should seal portions of an upcoming exhibit revealing Google’s User Choice Billing agreement with Spotify — which lets Spotify use its own payment system for subscriptions while still giving Google a cut.”
The Hindu: All of Google’s eyes, now on Madras High Court. “The court will decide the fate of civil suits filed against service fees levied on owners of mobile apps featured on Google Play. The litigants have accused Google of abusing its dominant position in the market to impose ‘unconscionable and arbitrary’ conditions.”
Yonhap News Agency: Google, Apple face 68 bln won of fines in S. Korea over in-app billing irregularities . ” South Korea’s telecommunications regulator said Friday it seeks to slap up to 68 billion won (US$50.42 million) in combined fines against Alphabet Inc’s Google and Apple Inc. for their violation of the country’s in-app payment laws.”
Reuters: Google reaches tentative settlement in US Play Store lawsuit. “Alphabet’s Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) on Tuesday tentatively settled a class action suit alleging that its U.S. Play Store had violated U.S. federal antitrust rules by overcharging customers, according to a court filing. Details of the settlement were not disclosed.”
KnowTechie: Apple quietly launches new website to showcase its own apps. “Quickly and quietly, Apple launched a new website for its app, named Apps by Apple, weeks before its iPhone 15 event. The new website is designed to promote the company’s in-house apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and Apple TV.”
TechCrunch: Google pulls popular but controversial live video chat app Chamet from the Play Store. “Google has removed popular but controversial live video chat app Chamet from the Play Store. The company confirmed the move to TechCrunch, saying that the app violated its user-generated content (UGC) policy.”
Bloomberg: Google Play Judge Cancels Class-Action Status Won by Consumers. “Google will likely be off the hook for paying damages to 21 million users who claim in an antitrust lawsuit they were overcharged in the company’s app marketplace as a federal judge retracted a ruling that gave them class-action status.”
Boing Boing: Twitter sinks in app store ranking and general findability after “X” rebrand. “Twitter, or “X” as it’s now supposed to be called, has suffered a ‘dramatic decrease’ in its popularity on app stores and in other measures of online findability. Searching for the old name, still in wide use among confused normies and indifferent users, now brings up ads from competitors and hinky SEO plays for the abandoned brand. Searching for X, if you’re even doing it? Good luck!”
The Register: South Korea ‘puts the brakes’ on Google’s app store dominance. “South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission today commenced monitoring of Google’s app store operations – an action that follows its April decision to fine the advertising and mobile OS giant for its competition-crimping activities.”
TechCrunch: Google pushes Match for more money in antitrust battle, court filing states. “Google has filed a new motion to the court in its antitrust battle with Epic Games and Match Group, where it claims that the dating app maker owes additional fees beyond the $40 million that had been previously set aside in escrow. Those funds are Google’s cut of Match’s in-app payments on Google Play that Match argues are ‘illegal under federal and state law’ — something the court case will decide. By Google’s calculations, the new figure should total around $84 million instead, based on Match’s public earnings.”
PetaPixel: All DJI Apps on Google Play are Frauds and Are Stealing Users’ Money. “The company published a warning to its users on the DJI Forums stating that there are some apps that will appear that imitate official DJI Apps (such as the DJI Fly – Go for Drone models or the DJI Earning app) that appear legitimate but instead seek to steal or defraud anyone who downloads them, DIY Photography reports. DJI’s official apps aren’t even listed on Google Play at all.”
TechCrunch: App Store users are downrating Twitter’s rebranding to X with 1-star reviews. “According to data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, nearly 78% of all the U.S. iOS reviews of the newly renamed X app have been 1-star reviews since July 24th, the day of the official rebrand, compared with just 50% over the previous two weeks. (50% is still not a great number and one that speaks to other user complaints about the numerous changes Twitter has made under Musk’s ownership.)”
9to5 Mac: App Store to require developers to describe why their apps use certain APIs. “The App Store review process is very strict to ensure that apps comply with Apple’s guidelines. And soon, this whole process will get even more strict. That’s because Apple recently announced that developers would be required to detail why their apps use certain APIs before submitting them to the App Store.”
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