Google took a decision to reduce the charges it imposes for some Google Play developers globally by half from 1 July, in an effort to address increased pressure from app makers.

In a blog, Google’s VP of product management Sameer Samat said fees will be reduced from 30 per cent to 15 per cent for the first $1 million of annual revenue developers make through the app marketplace’s billing system.

Google asserted the move would result in a 50 per cent reduction in fees for 99 per cent of Google Play developers. It added it had take a “fair approach” in line with a wider “mission to help all developers succeed”.

Rival Apple halved its fees for App Store developers in November 2020, following backlash and regulatory investigations.

Google has also faced tribulations, with Epic Games and Tinder bypassing Google’s developer fees, and a push by the India government to launch its own app marketplace instead.