The existing app store policies of Google and Apple have invited criticism from stakeholders while it appears that India has much to learn from other countries addressing these antitrust issues. Apple and Google are facing multiple legal and regulatory challenges across the world with respect to their app store practices. The main allegations against these companies are that they charge high commissions and impose unreasonable restrictions on app developers that harm competition. To address this, the US and South Korea have introduced new bills, which if passed, will upend the world of apps and cause a huge dent in the revenues of Apple and Google. As the largest open market for app developers and as the home to one of the largest communities of app developers, India should take a cue from the proposed legislation and formulate its own regulation for the app store market here. Current policies of Google Play Store and Apple App Store Fees and commissions Standard 30 percent: Both Apple and Google currently charge 30 percent commission on app purchases and in-app purchases of digital goods and services through App Store and Play store respectively. Subscription commission falls to 15 percent after one year. Reduced 15 percent: After coming under fire from multiple companies, Apple last November said that it will reduce commissions to 15 percent for developers that make less than $1 million per year. Google followed Apple with a similar, albeit slightly different, announcement saying that it will charge developers 15 percent for the first…
