‘Last resort’: Dating app maker Match sues Google for refusing to share nearly 30% of its sales

Google is once again making headlines for its allegedly anti-competitive behavior with the Play Store.

The tech giant has been sued by dating app maker Match Group Inc for refusing to share nearly 30% of its sales.

The Tinder owner said the step was a “last resort” to prevent his other apps from being started from the Play Store.

This isn’t the first time Google has been sued for its monopolistic attitude, as “Fortnite” maker Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Alphabet Inc over a similar ordeal.

According to Shar Dubey, chief executive of Match Group, “We tried, in good faith, to resolve these issues with Google, but their insistence and threats left us no choice.”

Seeking to prohibit such behavior, Match’s lawsuit alleges that Google violated federal and state antitrust laws.

In his filing, Match said that while his client prefers Tinder’s payment system, Google is trying to intimidate him by saying it will block downloads of those apps that were previously exempt by June 1 unless that they only offer its payment system and share the revenue.

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After cutting its fees, Google told developers they could bypass the Play Store because they had created other programs to address concerns.

Defending its decision, Google said its payment tool helps deter scams and added “Like any business, we charge for our services, and like any responsible platform, we protect users from fraud.”

But Dubey said going around Play was unsustainable and added that “it’s like saying, ‘you don’t have to take the elevator to get to the 60th floor of a building, you can still climb the outer wall. “”

(With agency contributions)

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