AMSTERDAM, May 4 (Reuters) – The Dutch Consumer and Market Authority (ACM) on Wednesday announced a preliminary investigation into Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google for possible anti-competitive practices in their Play Store.
Tinder owner Match group (MTCH.O) had asked the regulator to assess whether Google is abusing a dominant position in the dating app market.
“Dating app providers are reportedly no longer able to use a payment system other than Google’s payment system,” ACM spokesman Murco Mijnlieff said in an email.
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In a response, a Google spokesman said the company charges customers 15% commission for subscriptions via Google Play, which it said was “the lowest rate among major app platforms.”
It said app distributors can also avoid Google Play altogether by distributing their apps through other stores or websites.
The Dutch ACM remains stuck in a two-year battle with Google rival Apple over alternative means of payment for dating apps in the App Store.
Apple has received € 50 million in fines – the maximum possible under a current court ruling – for non-compliance with an ACM order designed to allow dating app developers to offer customers non-Apple payment methods. Read more
On Monday, ACM said that the latest proposals from Apple to remedy the situation, on March 30, were still insufficient and that it was preparing a new order with new payment fines.
“Once we have published this new order, which is subject to coercive fines, we can comment on its contents as well as on the points where Apple still does not comply with the requirements. It may take several weeks,” ACM said.
Apple has said it believes it has already complied with ACM’s orders adequately and declined further comment.
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Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing Kirsten Donovan
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