Paytm Taken Down From Play Store

1. Paytm Pulled Down From Google Play Store
2. Paytm Pulled Down From Play Store
3. Paytm Taken Down From Play Store Online
4. Paytm Deleted From Play Store

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India’s payment app Paytm is not ready to let the big hands Google twist its arms. After its main app was taken down from the Google Play Store two days ago, Paytm is ready to fight it over, and accuses as ‘arm-twisting’, in its new blog post on Sunday.

Stating its side of the story, Paytm said Google didn’t give it an opportunity to explain its new cashback sticker feature. The ban amounting to Google insinuating Paytm to be a gambling app is defamatory in nature, the Noida-based firm said in the blog.

“This (removing Indian apps temporarily from the Play Store) will be familiar to all Indian internet companies since they face similar arm-twisting and fear of Google’s dominance over India’s digital ecosystem every day,” Paytm said in its blog on Sunday evening.

Paytm on its part has assured its users that their money is completely safe. Dear Paytm'ers, Paytm Android app is temporarily unavailable on Google's Play Store for new downloads or updates. It will be back very soon. All your money is completely safe, and you can continue to enjoy your Paytm app as normal. — Paytm (@Paytm) September 18, 2020. Paytm's founder - Vijay Shekhar Sharma through a tweet announced that the app is live on Google Play Store and was taken down because they launched a UPI cashback campaign. Google on Friday took.

Paytm also reiterated that it’s delisting from the Play Store was owing to its new cashback feature, which it launched to users on Friday morning, according to Google’s mail.

“There is a bigger question here that the Indian startup ecosystem and developers should think about. As a startup, we are running law-abiding businesses and building for India. Google and its employees are making policies which are over and above the laws of our country, and are arbitrarily implementing them,” said Paytm accusing Google.

On Friday morning, at around 11:30, Paytm said that it received an email from Google Play Support informing that the Paytm Android app had been delisted since it doesn’t comply with Google’s policy around ‘gambling’.

“Your app contains content that doesn’t comply with the Gambling policy as it offers games with “loyalty” (e.g. engagement or activity) points that (1) are accrued or accelerated via real-money purchases which (2) can be exchanged for items or prizes of real-world monetary value,” Paytm’s blog said, quoting the memo from Google.

Paytm also said that its cashback campaign was within the guidelines, with no rules being broken, with Google’s payment app, Google Pay running a similar campaign this IPL season called ‘Tez Shots’.

“We maintain that our cashback campaign was within guidelines, as well as all laws of the land. We did not break any rules and there was no violation. It is not related to gambling in any manner whatsoever,” according to the blog.

On Friday morning, both the main Paytm app and fantasy gaming Android app ‘Paytm First Games’ were removed from the Play Store. Google objected to Paytm’s integration of real-money gaming apps or websites into Paytm’s main payments app, a person familiar with the development said.

Responding to these allegations, Paytm in its blog accepted that while Google Play Support reached out to the company on three different occasions (on August 20th, August 28th, and September 1st) with some concerns on a separate matter of Paytm First Games’ promotion through the Paytm app.

However, Paytm said that it had complied with Google’s ask on the matter immediately, in spite of disagreeing with the policy, in general.

Paytm also added that Google has enormous control over which apps a user downloads through its Play Store policies while making billions of dollars in advertising revenues from the Indian startups that make these apps.

Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) counts sports technology startup, Dream11, as its founding member, along with MyTeam11 and Fancode, as its platinum members.

“While Paytm did not directly engage in, or promote sports betting or gambling, it did have links to third-party sites which did. The ease of using Paytm on these third-party apps may have been viewed by Google as the element which makes Paytm as supporting these sites. Since many other apps are also promoting betting and gambling websites through ads and pop-ups, if Google applies the same standard, I would expect more apps will get taken off the Play Store,” said Akash Karmakar, Partner, Law Offices of Panag & Babu.

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Hours after being taken down by Google from Play Store, the search engine giant has restored Paytm on Play Store. Paytm's founder - Vijay Shekhar Sharma through a tweet announced that the app is live on Google Play Store and was taken down because they launched a UPI cashback campaign.

Google on Friday took down one of the most used online payment apps Paytm from the Google Play Store. This meant, android smartphone users were not able to download or install the app for the time being. Google has also taken down PaytmFirstGames from the app store. The company has recently roped in Sachin Tendulkar as its ambassador.

Other Paytm apps such as Paytm For Business, Paytm Money and Paytm Mall are still available on the Play Store.

Paytm through its official Twitter handle had earlier said that the app will be back very soon.

“All your money is completely safe, and you can continue to enjoy your Paytm app as normal,” the company tweeted.

In a blog the company wrote: 'We recently launched the ‘Paytm Cricket League’ on our consumer app for users to engage in their passion of cricket and get cashback. The game allows users to get player stickers after each transaction, collect them and receive Paytm Cashback.

Today afternoon, we received communication from Google that they are suspending our app because they believe this to be a violation of their Play Store policies on gambling. The Paytm Android app has thus been unlisted from Google’s Play Store and is temporarily unavailable to users for new downloads or updates.'

Paytm Pulled Down From Google Play Store

The company had said that it has temporarily removed the cashback component in an effort to meet the Play Store policy requirements.

Paytm Pulled Down From Play Store

Meanwhile, Google’s vice-president of product, Android security and privacy, Suzanne Frey in a blog dated September 18 wrote: “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.”

Paytm Taken Down From Play Store Online

She further wrote that if an app violates their security policies then Google notifies the developer team and then removes the app from Google Play Store until the developer brings the app into compliances.

She said that if an app repeatedly violates Google’s policy, then Google can take serious action which may include terminating Google Play Developer accounts.

Paytm Deleted From Play Store

According to reports, Google has dropped more apps from the Play Store.
Akash Karmakar, partner, Law Offices of Panag & Babu said, 'While PayTM did not directly engage in, or promote sports betting or gambling, it did have links to third-party sites which did. The ease of using PayTM on these third-party apps may have been viewed by Google as the element which makes PayTM as supporting these sites. Google appears to have taken an ethical stand against apps which promote or even advertise unregulated gambling apps that facilitate sports betting. Since many other apps are also promoting betting and gambling websites through ads and pop-ups, if Google applies the same standard, I would expect more apps will get taken off the Play Store.'