In the midst of searches for greater transparency in technology companies, Google is involved in a revelation about its business model around Google Play, its application platform, where it sought that competition had no place.
The foregoing was revealed after some unwritten documents presented in the case of Epic against Google will show that the technology giant is anti-competitive and paid to be, according to documents compiled by Gizmodo.
The case of telephones
Although in many cases users can download third-party applications, Google wanted to make sure that did not happen with a “Premier Device Program” in which it invited Android manufacturers to keep their application store, Play Store, as the dominant option. on your devices.
Who fell for the game? The documents reveal that companies such as LG, Motorola and HMD Global, which makes Nokia phones, are part of the exclusive premier program, where the order is that Google services be “default for all key functions” in at least 90 percent of your devices.
Also, the technology company requires developers to place an application lock that has the ability to install APK on the device, with the exception of stores or applications created by the original equipment manufacturers (OEM).
Google promised everyone involved a further cut in search revenue from devices, raising the rate from 8% to 12%, something not so significant. In certain cases, the company also agreed to share up to 6 percent of the Play Store’s “Play expenses” income, mainly in terms of the cellular model.
In addition to those mentioned above, others involved were Sony, Sharp, Xiaomi, BBK Electronics, owner of OnePlus, and brands such as Oppo and Vivo, participating to a greater or lesser extent in the premium program.
The obsession became so great that Google had some contracts for the operators where it discouraged them from launching their own application stores, thus avoiding generating competition.
Google and developers
In the case of game developers, Google created a Program separately, where it offered them great financial incentives to keep their titles available in the Play Store, initially called “Abrazo Project”, but which today bears the name: “Application and Games Speed Program”.
The goal of the first name was to portray Google’s mission to “embrace developers and show them love” and “give more love / promotion to the best developers and games”. To do this, the company paid millions of dollars to creators to ensure that their games would be on the Play Store.
There between Epic Games
The video game company assured that Google created the program to prevent other companies from doing the same as Epic Games did with the launch of Fornite on Android devices.
Initially, Epic launched Fortnite out of the Play Store to avoid giving away the 30 percent share of revenue, something that undoubtedly bothered Google, as even the documents show the fear that this was the beginning of a revolution and that other OEMs began to look for other platforms for their games and demolished the hegemony of the Google app store.
According to estimates from the search engine company, Google’s action would have resulted in a loss of about $ 1.4 billion by 2022. If app stores such as Amazon and Samsung had done the same, the losses could have been up to 6 billion.
Google is not doing anything new, because we must remember that Epic also sued Apple for the same situation, in addition, other platforms such as Amazon have tried on more than one occasion, at least to encourage developers to stay. However, Google’s image of transparency is in question.
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