Netflix is everyone’s favorite, we all know that but even technology giants like Apple and Google take sides with Netflix. According to recent reports, Google is offering special discounts to Netflix on Play Store’s 30 percent commission fees. A step that is making other developers and platforms uncomfortable. The search engine company is playing favorites and it is calling out for biased behavior.
Reportedly, a newly filed consumer lawsuit uncovers that Google is allegedly offering Netflix with special discounts on its Play Store fees in order to ‘quell the streaming giant’s displeasure’, as mentioned in a report by Engadget. According to Google’s Play Store policy, a 30 percent commission cut on Play Store revenue has been taken from developers, and this amount is currently, higher than Apple’s App Store’s cut after the iPhone maker’s legal battle with Epic Games.
Google’s Play Store policies say that developers are bound to use Google in-app payment system and developers are desperately trying to get around this policy or maybe cut a deal with the company but Netflix gets special treatment, reportedly in order to keep the streaming platform using Google’s payment platform, as noted by Engadget.
Google has kept a 30 percent cut of Play Store purchases for absolutely no reason at all, other than to copy Apple. The iPhone maker was recently dragged out to the court for the exact same reason by Epic Games over its Fortnite game. The lawsuit got really intense and ultimately Apple was forced to reduce its App Store cut, down from 30 percent. So, now when one technology giant has bowed down to the court’s decision, everyone’s attention is on Google to follow Apple’s footsteps but as of now, the search engine company has not made any change to the 30 percent commission, other than for Netflix, as a special developer.
Nevertheless, Google is not the only company trying to sway Netflix, Apple too offered the streaming service with perks that it did not provide to other developers. What a biased world!
As stated by The Verge, Google might not have any option other than to reduce its commission down from 30 percent. This consumer lawsuit might be the trigger sign for the company to follow Apple with a reduced commission cut.
If I were a judge, I would ask Google to reduce its commission down to what Apple has done and pay a fine for reportedly offering a ‘bribe’ to Netflix, just so the streaming service keeps using the company’s payment method.
What would you do? let us know in the comments below.
