Google countersues dating app Match Group in fight over play store policies

GOOGLE has sued Match Group, accusing the dating-app service of bad faith dealings and breach of contract in provoking a legal battle over Google Play policies.

The Google suit is in response to Match Group having sued the search giant in May, accusing it of having monopolistic billing policies. Google changed some of the policies, spurring the dating site to withdraw a request for a temporary restraining order.

But the Alphabet division fired back Monday (Jul 11), claiming Match Group, which runs dating services including Tinder and Our Time, now wants to pay nothing for using the Play Store, where Google charges a 15 per cent fee on the first US$1 million in annual revenue earned from the app store by US developers.

That would "place Match Group in an advantaged position relative to other app developers who honour their agreements and compensate Google in good faith for the benefits they receive", Google said in the complaint.

Google is seeking unspecified monetary damages from Match Group and a judgment that would allow it to kick the dating-app service out of the Play Store permanently.

Match Group didn't immediately respond to an emailed request for comment, sent after regular business hours. BLOOMBERG