I fail to see the problem here. There are dozens of these apps offered for free, some the developer decides to charge per month. User just has to find the free ones.
Should Google now tell app developers what to charge? That's ridiculous.
Should Google now tell app developers what to charge? That's ridiculous.
But Google and Apple ought to require clear disclosure of price and conditions. Also, free trials shouldn't transition to paid usage without explicit authorization.
I do understand that this is a common dark pattern. But common or not, it ought to be illegal. And these bullshit apps are perfect examples of why. So is the New York Times, but that's a different fight.
In contrast, this here is signing up for one year with an early cancellation full refund. All the while tricking you into thinking it were a free trial.
Of course, Google has an incentive to maximise total Play Store revenue, so their incentives don't line up with any individual developer. But I can definitely imagine a world in which almost everyone just allows Google to manage their pricing.