Yesterday Google outlined the adjustments it is going to make to adjust to the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) that goes into impact beginning at present. One essential element it omitted, nonetheless, was whether or not it will cost builders who directed customers outdoors the Play Retailer to sideload apps — and in that case, how a lot.
Now, Google has revealed that it’ll certainly cost builders even when they do not use the Play Retailer, similar to Apple did with the App Retailer. Per new particulars discovered within the Play Console help section, the corporate will cost two new charges:
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An preliminary acquisition price of 10% for in-app purchases or 5% for subscriptions for 2 years. This represents the worth Play offered in facilitating preliminary consumer acquisition.
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An ongoing companies price of 17% for in-app purchases or 7% for subscriptions. This covers ongoing Play companies like parental controls, safety, fraud prevention, and app updates.
Builders can decide out of ongoing charges after two years if customers agree, however ongoing Play companies will not apply. “Since customers acquired the app by Play with the expectation of companies resembling parental controls, safety scanning, fraud prevention, and steady app updates, discontinuation of companies requires consumer consent as properly,” Google said.
Google included the next chart to indicate how the charges will apply to a hypothetical “Fantastiq App”:
With this, Google is taking an identical method to Apple, which diminished App Retailer commissions however launched new charges. Specifically, Apple tacked on on a brand new 3 p.c “cost processing” price for transactions that undergo its retailer. And a brand new “core expertise price” will cost a flat €0.50 price for all app downloads, no matter whether or not they come from the App Retailer or a third-party web site, after the primary 1 million installations.
Google is justifying the charges by touting the worth it supplies within the Android ecosystem: “Play’s charges help our funding in Android and Google Play and mirror the value provided by Android and Play, together with enabling us to distribute Android totally free and supply the constantly rising suite of instruments and companies that assist builders construct profitable companies, all whereas protecting our platforms secure and safe for billions of customers worldwide.”
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney already blasted Google’s submit about DMA compliance yesterday, earlier than the brand new charges had been even made public. “Google introduced its malicious compliance plans for the European DMA legislation… it seems like their unlawful anti-steering coverage will probably be changed by a brand new Google Tax on net transactions. We’ll doubtless quickly learn the way he and different builders react to the brand new charges.