After being slapped with fines worth more than Rs 1,300 crore for restrictions on device makers for pre-installation of apps, Google also lost to India's competition watchdog in the Supreme Court. Facing a January 25th deadline to fix its policies in compliance with Competition Commission of India's instructions, Google has tweaked its licensing terms.
Now smartphone makers can license individual Google apps for their device, which they were barred from doing before. Android's compatibility requirements will also be modified, to enable device makers to develop forked variants.
Android users won't have to stick to Google, and will be able to choose their default browser after setting up a new device. Payments for in-app digital purchases can also be made via other billing options, along with Google's own billing mechanism.
Auto updating for side loaded apps and playstore have also been tweaked, while users will be informed about security risks.
