Google has issued notices to popular food delivery services Swiggy and Zomato, based on the promotional discount campaigns the two apps were running on their ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) linked platforms. Google’s ad issued to Swiggy and Zomato is based on their gamification of discount campaigns, in which the app’s customers could “bet on” or predict certain aspects of IPL matches, and earn points that could then be applied as discounts in food orders. According to Google, these promotions represented violations of Google’s Play Store policies, which strictly discourage any activity linked directly or indirectly to gambling. As of now, at the time of publishing this report, the Zomato and Swiggy Android apps are active on the Play Store.
However, Zomato and Swiggy have stated that they will seek to review their promotional campaigns in accordance with Google guidelines. Swiggy, in particular, is reported to have stated that they have succeeded in extending Google’s suspension period with respect to the IPL promotional campaign, and is likely to meet with Google executives to understand the postulates of these guidelines and a way to work around them. A Zomato spokesperson, on the other hand, has stated that the company will replace the Zomato Premier League campaign with a “more exciting” schedule for this weekend.
The move comes after Google banned the Paytm e-wallet and payments app from the Google Play Store, citing the violation of app store guidelines by the company’s Paytm First service, something that was within the scope. of gambling games. The app was restored after Paytm adjusted its UPI-linked rewards and cash back feature to avoid Google policies. Paytm is India’s largest startup by valuation and is one of the most widely used digital payment applications on a daily basis. After the ordeal, Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma called Google’s taint of the ban “arbitrary” and said that Google is continuing such actions as a result of its dominance of the market and without consulting the agencies. regulators. Paytm’s services are fully compliant with local laws, Sharma said, hinting that such bans should not be allowed to persist to ensure an open and fair market.
Google has been cracking down on apps that promote predictions and bets on its Play Store, leading many to claim that Google’s market dominance power is too much to keep the internet ecosystem open and fair. It now remains to be seen what discussions take place between Google and its app store customers, and the resulting verdict from the discussions that will follow in the near future.
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