South Korea's Kakao removes external payment method amid Google Play standoff

Kakao has backed down from what appeared to be a standoff with Google regarding external payment methods following the suspension of updates to its popular messaging app KakaoTalk this month. As of last month, Google instituted a new payments policy requiring developers selling digital goods and services to use its first-party …

[Andy The Hat]

Can someone explain ...?

On the one hand, with the threat of withdrawl from the app store they (including the enforcers) got around the table and the external payment links were dropped ... but later it says that forcing app-store routed payment methods is illegal.

Are these not contradictory statements? Am I missing something?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Can someone explain ...?

Isn't it the case that they were using an "external" payment system which Google wouldn't accept and they're getting away with it as the law only says "internal" payments can't be forced through Google Play?

I assume internal means the app itself takes care of the payment and external means it takes you to another app/web site.... ????

[Kevin Johnston]

The external link method is banned by Google who will drop the App from the store, the forced in-app routed payments is illegal but being contested. So the first is an insta-kill and the second is whoever has the deepest pockets wins