Supreme Court Refuses Interim Order to Protect Startups Challenging Google’s Billing Policy, India

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear pleas from a group of startups challenging Google’s billing policy. However, they have declined to grant an interim order that would protect the startups from being removed from the Google Play Store. The startups’ lawyers argued that they should be safeguarded until the appeal is resolved. Despite their pleas, the Chief Justice refused to grant the interim order. This development comes after the Madras High Court dismissed the appeals of these startups against Google’s in-app payment billing policy. However, the court did request that Google refrain from delisting some of these companies for at least three weeks. The Chief Justice also confirmed that the startups would have an opportunity to present their case to the Supreme Court. The controversy arose after Google reduced its commission rate for in-app purchases following intervention from the Confederation of Indian Industry. While this issue continues to unfold, the fate of these startups remains uncertain.