Google to Lower Webtoon Commission to 15%... Including Naver and Kakao

[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] Google is reportedly considering lowering the commission rate to 15% for digital content such as webtoons and music as it prepares to implement its in-app payment policy starting this October.

According to the IT industry on the 23rd, Google plans to announce this once the decision is finalized. If this policy is confirmed, major platforms like Naver and Kakao, which were previously excluded from the reduction plan, will also be included.

The Korea Electronic Publishing Association and related industries have opposed Google's in-app payment policy, calling it a threat to the K-content industry. In response, Google appears to have made this decision to reduce the burden on creators by reflecting their concerns.

Earlier, Google announced plans to expand its 30% commission policy, which was applied only to games, to content apps and others, requiring apps listed on its app market, Google Play, to use Google's payment system when selling content, items, etc.

After strong opposition from the industry, Google decided to set a 15% commission rate on annual sales up to $1 million starting in July, with a 30% rate applied to amounts exceeding that.

However, the domestic IT industry still holds a negative stance on this. An industry official said, "The issue is not the commission rate itself, but the essence of forcing in-app payments," adding, "Lowering the commission will not quell the opposition."