Google on Friday restored the Paytm app on its Play store after removing it for a few hours for violating its policy on sports betting activities.
The app was back on the Google Play store on Friday evening after the Softbank-backed Paytm removed the 'cashback' feature from a recently-launched game on the application.
'Update: And we're back!,' Paytm said in a tweet.
On Friday morning, Google removed the Paytm app -- which facilitates use of wallet and payments bank services -- from the Play store.
Earlier on Friday, Google took down one of the most popular fintech applications in India, Paytm, from its Play Store. The app was put back by late in the evening, after Paytm ‘temporarily’ removed. Google removed PayTM from Play Store on policy violations - TV9Watch iSmart News latest episode: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlRkq6AzK4ZQKcT9lobro. The tech giant is also said to have removed nearly 500 apps from the Play Store in the crackdown on illicit lending platforms. However, there is no official confirmation on the number of apps removed. Paytm will follow all the rules from Google, due to which it will come back very soon. If you have a paytm app, then delete it from your mobile, you will be able to use it, but the new paytm app has been removed from the playstore, you should not remove the paytm on your mobiles when paytm all the rules of Google Will accept it again.
However, users who had already downloaded the app could continue using the services.
'The app was blocked for violation of Play policies - a clarification of our policy was released earlier today ahead of the IPL tournament,' Google said in an e-mailed response, adding that only the app availability on Play store was impacted.
Google, in a blog post earlier on Friday, had said it does not allow apps facilitating sports betting and will remove such apps from the Play store.
These policies are in place to protect users from potential harm, it added.
'We don't allow online casinos or support any unregulated gambling apps that facilitate sports betting. This includes if an app leads consumers to an external website that allows them to participate in paid tournaments to win real money or cash prizes, it is a violation of our policies,' the blog post said.
Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma said the company has already removed the scratch cards which offered the cashbacks, complying with Google's concerns.
Stating that Google was not allowing it to acquire new customers by blocking Paytm's promotion, Sharma said India needs support for further growing the startup ecosystem.
'(Platforms like Google) are dominating platforms and with power comes responsibility. I believe that they should be responsible for this country's growth and startup ecosystem... India's ecosystem needs support, not stifling of innovation,' he told news channel CNBC-TV18.
A Paytm spokesperson said the company had recently launched the 'Paytm Cricket League' on its consumer app for users to engage in their passion of cricket and get cashbacks.
'The game allows users to get player stickers after each transaction, collect them and get Paytm Cashback. Cashback is legal in India and we strictly follow all rules and laws of the land.
'Unfortunately, Google believes this to be a violation of its policies and has unlisted the Paytm Android app from the Play Store,' the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that the cashback feature has been removed and confirmed that the app has been restored on the Play store.
Google, in its blog post, had said that when an app violates its policies, it notifies the developer of the violation and removes the application from Google Play until the developer brings it into compliance.
'And in the case where there are repeated policy violations, we may take more serious action which may include terminating Google Play Developer accounts.
'Our policies are applied and enforced on all developers consistently,' the blog post by Android Security and Privacy Vice President Product Suzanne Frey said.
There is often a surge in launches of such apps before major sporting tournaments like the IPL.
The latest season of the Indian Premier League is scheduled to start from September 19 in the United Arab Emirates.
Meanwhile, Sonam Chandwani, Managing Partner at KS Legal & Associates, said, 'Enforcement of compliance with Google's policies one day before IPL is scheduled to kickstart, is a preemptive attempt by Google to reinstate and remind developers of its stringent gambling policies.'
She said in India, legislation puts a blanket ban on sports betting but fantasy sports is not illegal in most states.
'However, Google's policies will have an over-arching implication on apps in its Play Store.
'An undetermined implication would be the compliance of its policies by sports fantasy apps like Dream 11 and MPL that are not directly available on the Google Play Store platform but feature in advertisements and inducing similar effect on its user, eventually leading to a violation of its gambling policies,' she noted.
In a statement, the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports said it had sought clarity from Google to ensure a level-playing field for all fantasy sports apps.
FIFS also said it has never asked for any company, such as MPL or Paytm, to have any negative repercussions whatsoever.
'We are here to protect all our members no matter their business size and treat all members/non-members the same.
'In the past, FanCode and SportsTiger, sister brands of Dream11 and MyTeam11 respectively, were removed from the Google Play Store for violation of Google Play Store's policy as they were promoting their Fantasy Sports Apps,' it added.
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Calling the elimination of its software from the Google Play Retailer ‘unjustified’, Paytm on Sunday alleged that the U.S.-headquartered know-how agency “arm twisted” it to take away a UPI cashback scheme whilst its personal digital funds app — Google Pay, has been working the same promotion.
Paytm additionally pressured that opposite to accepted follow, it was not given any alternative to answer considerations raised by Google Play Retailer.
“We preserve that our cashback marketing campaign was inside pointers, in addition to all legal guidelines of the land. We didn’t break any guidelines and there was no violation. It’s not associated to playing in any method by any means,” Paytm stated in an in depth blogpost.
Responding to the allegations, a Google spokesperson in an emailed response stated, providing cashbacks and vouchers alone don’t represent a violation of Google Play playing insurance policies.
Google had on Friday eliminated Paytm from its software retailer citing violation of playing guidelines. The appliance was restored in a couple of hours after Paytm eliminated the cashback characteristic.
“Our insurance policies don’t enable on-line casinos or assist any unregulated playing apps that facilitate sports activities betting, together with each day fantasy sports activities in India… Within the case of repeated coverage violations, we might take extra severe motion which can embrace terminating Google Play Developer accounts. Our insurance policies are utilized and enforced on all builders persistently,” the spokesperson stated.
In a sharply worded publish, Paytm stated it was compelled to adjust to Google’s mandate of eradicating our UPI cashback provide and scratch playing cards to get re-listed. It stated the “sequence of occasions” might be acquainted to all Indian Web firms since they face related “arm-twisting and concern of Google’s dominance over India’s digital ecosystem every single day”.
Paytm, which competes with Google Pay within the Indian market, stated the Google Play Help workforce had written to it on three events with some considerations on a separate matter of Paytm First Video games’ promotion by way of the Paytm app. “Whereas we strenuously disagreed with the allegation that we’re breaching the coverage [and we disagree with the policy itself too], we instantly complied with the diktat that barred us from selling our gaming subsidiary,” it stated, including that driving visitors or selling fantasy sports activities isn’t playing.
It stated, “Conveniently, Paytm First Video games can do a paid promotion on YouTube [which is owned by Google], however it isn’t allowed to do the identical commercial on the Paytm app, as per Google Coverage.”
Google Removed Paytm Phone
“We implement our insurance policies very thoughtfully to offer a protected and safe expertise for customers, whereas additionally giving builders the platform and instruments they should construct sustainable companies,” the Google spokesperson stated.
Paytm additionally highlighted that Google Pay frequently runs related campaigns in India. Firstly of this Cricket Season, it began the ‘Tez Photographs’ marketing campaign beneath which customers play a sport to “rating runs to earn assured rewards value as much as ₹1 lakh.”
“Presumably, such cashback campaigns of Google Pay should not in breach of Play Retailer insurance policies, or possibly they’re, however a distinct algorithm apply to Google’s personal apps,” it stated.
Paytm Removed From Play Store
There’s a larger query right here that the Indian startup ecosystem and builders ought to take into consideration, Paytm stated, including that as a startup, it’s working law-abiding companies and constructing for India. “Google and its workers are making insurance policies that are over and above the legal guidelines of our nation, and are arbitrarily implementing them,” it stated.