Tinder owner sues Google to avoid 30% app store charges

Match Group Inc. sued Google on what it calls the last resort to prevent Tinder and its other apps from being removed from the Play store for refusing to share up to 30 percent of their sales.

The dating apps maker's lawsuit follows ongoing cases brought by Epic Games, dozens of U.S. state attorneys general, and others in targeting Google's allegedly anticompetitive conduct with the Play store.

Google said Match was attempting to dodge paying for the significant value it receives. It added that t like any business, they charge for services and protect users against fraud.

Match's complaint accuses Google of breaking federal and state antitrust laws and aims to prohibit such behavior.

Some of Match's apps have been exempted from Google policies for about the past decade. Now, Google says it will block downloads of those apps by June 1 unless they solely offer its payment system and share revenue.

Match CEO Shar Dubey said they tried, in good faith to resolve these concerns with Google, but their insistence and threats left them without a choice.

Match is betting on hundreds of millions of dollars in income that would otherwise have to be paid to Google.

According to the lawsuit, the majority of Tinder users prefer Match's payment mechanism, which allows for installment plans, bank transfers, and other services not offered by Google.

Going around Play, according to Dubey, was unviable.