Google has removed the messaging app Telegram from its Play Store in India, with Apple expected to follow, in compliance with a government order aimed at preventing paper leaks during the upcoming NEET-UG re-examination on June 21. The government has also directed Telegram to temporarily disable its message-editing feature until June 30.
Taking a strong view of Google pulling out some apps from its Play Store, the government on Saturday said delisting of Indian apps cannot be permitted and that the tech company and the startups concerned have been called for a meeting next week. In an interview to PTI, IT and Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the startup ecosystem is key to the Indian economy and their fate cannot be left to any big tech to decide. The minister's comments assume significance as Google on Friday began removing some apps, including popular matrimony apps, from its Play Store in India over a dispute on service fee payments, even as apps and well-known startup founders cried foul.
Paytm will not be available for download now but there will be no impact on existing users of the app. 'The app was blocked for violation of play policies - a clarification of our policy was released earlier today ahead of the IPL (Indian Premier League) tournament,' Google said in an e-mailed response on Friday.
A Judicial member of the appellate tribunal NCLAT has recused himself from hearing a petition filed by tech giant Google, appealing against Rs 936.44 crore penalty imposed by competition watchdog CCI for abusing its dominant position with respect to Play Store policies. On Monday, NCLAT bench Justice Rakesh Kumar and Alok Srivastava ordered Google's appeal to be listed before another bench of which Justice Rakesh Kumar is not a party. It has asked the registry of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) to place it before the chairman of the appellate tribunal for this.
Instant messaging platform Telegram has been restored in India after a week-long government ban, imposed due to its alleged role in circulating leaked NEET examination papers, expired. The Delhi High Court had upheld the ban as lawful and necessary.
According to sources, developers of many of the 59 banned apps had taken down their apps from Google Play Store voluntarily.
Tech giant Google on Thursday said it has reviewed hundreds of personal loan apps in India that were flagged by users and government agencies and those found to be violating its user safety policies were immediately removed from its Play Store.
Fair trade regulator CCI on Thursday ordered a probe against Google and its affiliates for alleged unfair business practices with respect to listing of real money gaming apps on Play Store. While passing the order, CCI said the "the Commission directs the Director General ('DG') to cause an investigation to be made into the matter under the provisions of Section 26(1) of the Act".
The two apps had drawn millions of downloads in India as border tensions between India and China surged.
Google is going ahead with a policy revision mandating 30% charge on in-app purchases across all apps on Play Store. This has left developers' community worried about tighter squeeze on their earnings, says Yuvraj Malik.
The move by the two Silicon Valley companies came the day when Twitter permanently suspended Trump's account due to "risk of further incitement of violence".
Kerala police have issued a warning about a sophisticated cyber fraud targeting football fans. Scammers are using fake OTT apps and social media advertisements promising free access to FIFA World Cup 2026 matches. These malicious apps gain control of users' phones and illegally withdraw money from bank accounts. The police advise downloading apps only from official stores and being cautious of suspicious permissions.
In its second ruling against Google in less than a week, the Competition Commission on Tuesday slapped a penalty of Rs 936.44 crore on the internet major for abusing its dominant position with respect to its Play Store policies.
The decision, which comes after a meeting with top government officials, marks a new phase in the easing of internet blockades that have restricted access to major global platforms for some time.
Indian industry snubbed Google Play's decision to cut by half its commission for developers when they make $1 million in annual revenue for in-app purchases, saying the US tech giant may continue its "abrasive & monopolistic abuse" as it owns the Android system. Google Play said Tuesday that beginning July 1 it would slash its 30 per cent billing fee to 15 per cent for developers globally when they make the first $1 million of their annual revenue.
Users can tap and try a game without having to download it first.
WhatsApp is finally letting you hide your phone number behind a custom username. While it's a massive win for privacy, cybersecurity experts warn it could unleash a wave of identity scams. Here is what you need to know.
65-inch Mini QD screen combining Mini LED lighting with Quantum Dot enhancement, delivering 4K Ultra HD clarity with Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG support.
While experts claimed that Patanjali's Swadeshi messaging app was removed form Google Play over security concerns, Kimbho declared that it was removed because of heavy traffic.
The dizzying ascent of these cricket apps, some from near oblivion, after the IPL tournament began on September 19 in the UAE, has been meteoric.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) and IIT Madras have justified the temporary restriction on Telegram ahead of the re-NEET examination, stating the platform was allegedly used to fabricate evidence of question paper leaks through edited messages with old timestamps, a claim criticised by the Internet Freedom Foundation as a 'disproportionate' response.
The verdict in the Google versus Epic Games antitrust case in the US has spread cheer among the Indian gaming and app developers. Ending a three-year legal battle, the San Francisco jury found that Google turned its Play app store and billing service into an illegal monopoly. American video game maker Epic Games, best known for Fortnite, had sued Google in 2020.
Rising income feels like success but unchecked lifestyle inflation traps urban professionals into financing a more expensive version of living paycheck-to-paycheck -- buying material upgrades instead of true future financial freedom.
Cyber threats aren't always invisible -- sometimes they're right beside you.
In its June 2025 review, the International Monetary Fund spotlighted India's Unified Payments Interface as the world's most dominant retail instant-payment network, moving more transactions than any other system on the globe.
The Bharat Taxi platform is already positioning itself as the world's largest driver-owned mobility network, with more than 51,000 drivers across cars, autos, and bikes registered in New Delhi and Saurashtra, Gujarat.
Tech giant Alphabet on Monday launched a privacy feature on its app marketplace Google Play Store that will require developers to give people more information about how apps collect, share and secure users' data. Users will start seeing the data safety section in Google Play on Tuesday, and developers are required to complete this section for their apps by July 20. As app developers update their functionality or change their data handling practices, they will show the latest in the apps' data safety section.
Google has settled with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) a case related to alleged unfair business practices in the Android TV segment and paid a settlement amount of Rs 20.24 crore to the regulator. This is the first case to be settled under the amended Competition Act, wherein settlement and commitment provisions were introduced in 2023.
Google has said that it is pausing enforcement of Google Play billing system (GPBS) for developers in India. This comes after the Competition Commission of India (CCI) imposed a penalty of Rs 2,275 crore in two cases and an immediate cease-and-desist order of its policies of running the Android Mobile device and Play Store ecosystem. In a statement, the company said, "Following the CCI's recent ruling, we are pausing enforcement of the requirement for developers to use Google Play's billing system for the purchase of digital goods and services for transactions by users in India.
The home ministry can notify Google of the Voice of Punjab app's hateful content and have the app taken down from the app store. The glorification of Beant Singh's assassination alone is enough to have the app taken down.
Apple has announced that John Ternus will succeed Tim Cook as CEO in 2026. Ternus, the current senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, will take over as Cook transitions to executive chairman of the board. This change marks the end of Cook's long tenure and the beginning of a new chapter for Apple.
Eternal-owned quick-commerce firm Blinkit has dropped its '10-minute' delivery claim after intervention by the Labour Ministry amid growing concerns over the welfare and safety of delivery workers.
Scrutiny of Google's code of conduct in the Indian Android ecosystem is far from over with several start-ups preparing to appeal against the company's revised policies of service fee on in-app purchases and subscriptions, according to sources in the know. This comes days after the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) granted partial relief to the tech giant, reversing four of the 10 key non-monetary directives that would have forced Google to allow uninstalling of its pre-installed apps on Android devices. Paytm, BharatMatrimony, and ShareChat are among the start-ups that are likely to file grievances against the tech major for alleged non-compliance with the Competition Commission of India's (CCI's) cease-and-desist order on Play Store policies.
For many developers, it may not be a sufficient saving to make it worth creating and maintaining alternatives.
Meanwhile, TikTok said it has faith in the Indian judicial system.
After failing to get a court order to block an antitrust ruling, Google on Wednesday said it will allow users in India to choose default search engine on Android-based smartphones. As part of the key changes the tech giant will make to its platforms and business in India in the aftermath of the landmark CCI ruling, OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) will be able to license individual Google apps for pre-installation on their devices. Google is also updating the Android compatibility requirements to introduce changes for partners to build non-compatible or forked variants, the company said in its blog.
Google on Tuesday began reinstating about 250 Indian apps it had delisted from its Play Store over a billing dispute as it caved in to government criticism, but the squabble may not yet be over.
The Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF), an industry body for startup ecosystem and app developers, on Monday filed a complaint with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) against technology major Google for alleged anti-competitive practices in online advertising. The complaint outlined Google's dominant position and alleged abusive behaviour in both the online search and online display advertising.
CCI decided to pursue investigation on two issues - these relate to "exclusivity regarding the mode of payment for the purchase of apps and in-app purchases" and "pre-installation and prominence of Google Pay on Android smartphones".
Google on Friday announced that third-party 'in app' billing system pilot will be extended to India and some other markets, allowing non-gaming developers to offer users the choice of an alternative billing mechanism alongside that of Google Play. A reasonable service fees will continue to apply in order to support investments in Android and Play, according to Google. However, specifics of what the reasonable service fees will be, have not been disclosed.
