Google Play Store restores Paytm app after being pulled down briefly for policy violation
Paytm app is back on the Play Store by yesterday evening after Paytm agreed to remove a new UPI cashback feature called ‘Paytm Cricket League’ that was rolled out on Friday morning, a day before the start of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Google decided to ban the Paytm app due to the Indian company's violation of its policy against “simulated gambling content”.
A temporary takedown of Paytm, from Google’s Android Play Store on Friday on the ground that it was facilitating unregulated gambling, engendered a major controversy with the app’s founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma terming the move as being “against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.”
“Paytm App is back...We launched a UPI CashBack campaign this morning. Our app got suspended by Google for this. India, you decide if giving cashback is gambling,” Sharma tweeted on Friday evening.
It has been criticised the takedown pointing to a potential conflict of interest as Google Pay competes with Paytm.
A representative for Google said that Frey’s blog post is the company’s policy clarification ahead of the IPL and that it states Google’s stance against online gambling. Paytm was among other apps against which the tech giant has acted, the spokesperson said.
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