China's market regulator holds symposium on fair competition
Regulators will strengthen their fair competition review, enhance antitrust supervision and enforcement, and improve the efficiency of investment and M&A reviews, the State Administration for Market Regulation said in a statement posted on its social media account.
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- Reuters
Google tweaks Google Play conditions following EU pressure
PARIS, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Alphabet (GOOGL.O), opens new tab unit Google said on Tuesday it will make it easier for app developers to steer customers to channels other than Google after the European Union competition watchdog charged it with breaching EU regulations. In March, Google was hit with two charges of breaching the EU's landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to rein in the power of Big Tech. Google has been in the European Commission's crosshairs since early 2024 over whether it restricts app developers from informing users about offers outside its app store Google Play and whether it favours its vertical search services such as Google Flights. Regulators have said Alphabet technically prevents app developers from freely steering consumers to other channels for better offers. They said a service fee charged by the company for facilitating the initial acquisition of a new customer by an app developer via Google Play goes beyond what is justified. In a blog post, Google said that following discussions with the European Commission, developers, and other experts, Google is updating certain terms. "While we still have concerns that these changes could expose Android users to harmful content and make the app experience worse, we're updating our External Offers Program for the EU with revised fees and more options for Android developers, following DMA discussions with the European Commission," EMEA Senior Competition Counsel Clare Kelly said. The company, which has been fined more than 8 billion euros ($9.3 billion) by the EU for various antitrust violations, risks fines of up to 10% of its global annual sales if found guilty of breaching the DMA. ($1 = 0.8580 euros)
Reuters
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India plans to ban online games played with money, citing addiction risks
NEW DELHI, Aug 19 (Reuters) - India's government plans to ban online games played with money, a proposed bill showed on Tuesday, in what would be a heavy blow for an industry that has attracted billions of dollars of foreign investment. Citing psychological and financial harm it says can be caused by such games, the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025 says that no person "shall offer, aid, abet, induce or otherwise indulge or engage in" the offering of online money games and such services. The 13-page bill, which has not yet been made public but has been reviewed by Reuters, describes an online money game as one played by a user by depositing money in expectation of winning monetary and other enrichment. The Indian market for such gaming is set to be worth $3.6 billion by 2029, venture capital firm Lumikai says. Endorsements by top Indian cricketers and other marketing efforts have boosted appeal and investor interest of real money gaming apps such as the popular fantasy cricket games operated by startups Dream11 and Mobile Premier League. Dream11 commands a valuation of $8 billion while Mobile Premier League is valued at $2.5 billion, PitchBook data shows. The Indian government has long been concerned about how such games are addictive. India's IT ministry, which has drafted the bill, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. MPL and Dream11 declined to comment. In fantasy cricket games on Dream11, users create their teams by paying as little as 8 rupees (10 U.S. cents), with a total prize pool of 1.2 million Indian rupees ($14,000). The apps become more popular during the Indian Premier League season, one of the world's most popular cricket tournaments. The bill states that anyone who offers such money games could face a jail term of up to three years and a fine. "Such games often use manipulative design features, addictive algorithms ... while promoting compulsive behaviour leading to financial ruin," the bill said.
The Herald Scotland
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India's Modi meets China's top diplomat as Asian powers rebuild ties
China's foreign ministry said the countries have entered a 'steady development track' and the countries should 'trust and support' each other. Mr Wang arrived in India on Monday and has met with foreign affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar as well as national security adviser Ajit Doval about the countries' disputed border in the Himalayan mountains. India's foreign ministry said Mr Wang's meeting with Mr Doval discussed 'de-escalation, delimitation and boundary affairs'. Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping (Manish Swarup/AP) Relations plummeted in 2020 after security forces clashed along the border. The violence, the worst in decades, left 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers dead, freezing high-level political engagements. 'The setbacks we experienced in the past few years were not in the interest of the people of our two countries. We are heartened to see the stability that is now restored in the borders,' Mr Wang said. Mr Modi emphasised the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity on the border and reiterated India's commitment to a 'fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question', his office said in a statement. The rebuilding of India-China ties coincides with friction between New Delhi and Washington after US president Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on India, a long-time ally seen as a counterbalance against China's influence in Asia. India is part of the Quad security alliance with the US, along with Australia and Japan. The chill in relations after the deadly clash in 2020 between troops in the Ladakh region affected trade, diplomacy and air travel, as both sides deployed tens of thousands of security forces in border areas. Some progress has been made since then. Last year, India and China agreed to a pact on border patrols and withdrew additional forces along some border areas. Both countries continue to fortify their border by building roads and rail networks. In recent months, the countries have increased official visits and discussed easing some trade restrictions, movement of citizens and visas for businesspeople. In June, Beijing allowed pilgrims from India to visit holy sites in Tibet. Both sides are working to restore direct flights. Last week, the spokesman for India's foreign ministry, Randhir Jaiswal, said India and China were in discussions to restart trade through three points along their 2,167-mile border. 'Settling the boundary issue between the two countries requires political compromise at the highest political level,' said Manoj Joshi, a fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank. He also served as a member of the advisory board for India's National Security Council. The thaw between Beijing and New Delhi began last October when Mr Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping met at a summit of emerging economies in Russia. It was the first time the leaders had spoken in person since 2019. Mr Modi is set to meet Mr Xi when he travels to China late this month — his first visit in seven years — to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a regional grouping formed by China, Russia and others to counter US influence in Asia. Earlier this year, Mr Xi called for India and China's relations to take the form of a 'dragon-elephant tango' — a dance between the emblematic animals of the countries. Last month, India's external affairs minister visited Beijing in his first trip to China since 2020.
