An Indian regulator has reportedly begun an antitrust investigation into Google.

The inquiry by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) facilities on a service price Google fees for funds made in apps, Reuters reported Friday (May 12), citing a doc it has seen that has not been made public.

The CCI’s probe of Google’s User Choice Billing system follows complaints by some corporations that the price violates an earlier antitrust directive, in response to the report.

The directive issued by CCI in October 2022 mentioned Google should permit builders to make use of third-party billing quite than requiring them to make use of its in-app fee system and pay a fee of 15% to 30%, the report mentioned.

Google started providing User Choice Billing, which permits various funds, along with its in-app fee system. However, corporations be aware that UCB fees a service price of 11% to 26%, per the report.

The CCI’s inquiry asks Google in regards to the in-app fee system, User Choice Billing and its insurance policies round sharing knowledge and requires the corporate to reply in 4 weeks, in response to the report.

Reached for remark by PYMNTS, a Google spokesperson mentioned that the corporate is dedicated to complying with native legal guidelines and laws; that it has applied modifications and is in compliance with the CCI’s instructions; and that it appears to be like ahead to partaking constructively with the CCI.

The tech large has mentioned prior to now that the price permits it to spend money on its app retailer and cellular working system, distribute the working system at no cost and gives instruments and providers to builders, the report mentioned.

Google prolonged the supply of User Choice Billing to India and several other different nations in September, enabling third-party payment options for builders within the Google Play Store and saying builders will see the everyday 15% to 30% service price charged by Google drop by 4% once they choose to make use of a third-party billing possibility.

“Android has always been a uniquely open operating system and we continue to evolve our platform and increase the choices available to developers and users while maintaining our ability to invest in the ecosystem,” a Google spokesperson mentioned on the time.

User Choice Billing made its debut six months earlier, in March 2022, when Google and Spotify introduced a brand new settlement permitting customers to obtain Spotify from the Google Play retailer and select to pay with both Spotify’s fee system or Google Play Billing.