Google updates terms for app marketplace following EU pressure

Published on 20/08/2025 - 12:49 GMT+2

Google will make it easier for app developers to nonstop Android users extracurricular of its ain ecosystem to make purchases and transactions, aft regulators said nan tech elephantine violated European Union law.

In March, nan European Commission accused Google’s genitor institution Alphabet of failing to comply pinch EU rules that barroom exertion companies from unfairly steering users toward their ain products aliases services.

The Commission said nan institution prevented app developers from informing users astir “other channels for amended offers” extracurricular of Google Play, its app marketplace. It besides said nan institution charged fees erstwhile developers sewage caller customers that went “beyond what is justified”.

In response, Google said it will make changes to its terms, including reducing developer fees and adding “flexibility” to nonstop users from their apps to different links.

“While we still person concerns that these changes could expose Android users to harmful contented and make nan app acquisition worse, we're updating our External Offers Program for nan EU pinch revised fees and much options for Android developers, pursuing DMA discussions pinch nan European Commission,” said Clare Kelly, Google’s elder title counsel for Europe, nan Middle East and Africa (EMEA)

In a connection provided to Euronews Next, Kelly said Google Play and Android, Google’s mobile operating system, person generated much than €3 cardinal successful gross for European developers.

EU regulators person been scrutinising Google, Meta, and Apple since nan Digital Markets Act (DMA) went into unit successful 2023. The rule intends to rein successful nan tech giants’ gatekeeping power.

In April, nan Commission fined Apple €500 cardinal and Meta €200 cardinal for violating nan DMA.