Google Play Allows Developers in Europe to Promote Offers Outside App

The Google Play store is updating its external offers program in the European Union to allow links to download developers’ own external apps and to let developers select ongoing service tiers.

These changes will be available in the fall, Google said in a Tuesday (Aug. 19) post on a support page. The external offers program was introduced in March 2024.

“The external offers program allows developers of Google Play managed apps to lead users in the European Economic Area (EEA) outside the app, including to promote offers for in-app features and services, subject to Google Play’s Payments policy,” the company said in the post.

The post added that developers must meet Google’s eligibility and requirements, complete their enrollment in the external offers program and remain subject to the company’s Payments policy and applicable service fees.

In another Tuesday post on a support page, Google said: “As part of our continued compliance with the EU Digital Markets Act, we have made additional updates to our external offers program to offer more flexibility for developers while balancing trust and safety needs across the ecosystem.”

Google launched the external offers program in March 2024 to comply with the Digital Markets Act by allowing developers of apps distributed by Play to lead users in the EEA outside the app to promote offers, the company said at the time in a blog post.

“While Google Play already allows developers to communicate freely with customers outside their app about offers or lower-cost options available on a rival app store or the developer’s website, we are adding additional options in compliance with the DMA,” the company said in the March 2024 post.

Google’s latest changes to the Play Store came in response to a warning from EU regulators and aim to prevent future penalties, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.

Similar pressures led Apple to make changes to its App Store while at the same time launching a legal challenge against EU regulators.

Clare Kelly, senior competition counsel at Google, said in Tuesday’s Bloomberg report: “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.”