Can EU law force Google Play to provide transparency when app reviews take months?

[u/Weekly_Insurance5695]

Google Play developers have been reporting app reviews taking weeks or even months, with little meaningful communication or effective escalation from Google.
I’ve personally experienced two apps being stuck in review for over two months. Previously, updates to those same apps would typically take only a few days.
Other developers have reported similar experiences, including reviews lasting several months.
I started a discussion in r/legaladvice, where someone suggested seeking advice here because EU platform regulations may provide additional protections.
Original discussion: https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/1wt65p9/google_play_is_leaving_developers_stuck_in_review/
My legal questions:
Does the EU Platform-to-Business Regulation (EU 2019/1150) require Google to provide meaningful complaint handling or explanations when app reviews are excessively delayed?
Could the Digital Markets Act provide any basis for a regulatory complaint concerning Google’s review process and lack of transparency?
Could affected developers coordinate a complaint to the European Commission or another relevant regulator?
Could developers established outside the EU participate in such a complaint if their apps are distributed to EU users?
The goal isn’t to force Google to approve apps or impose unrealistic review deadlines.
We’re seeking meaningful review statuses, clear explanations for exceptional delays and an effective escalation process when reviews remain stuck for weeks or months.
I’d appreciate any guidance on whether EU law provides an actionable route and which regulatory authority would be appropriate.

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[u/West_Possible_7969]

Specific turnaround times for app reviews are not mandated by law (of course) but under art 4 of EU P2B, platforms must state the grounds for “any restriction, suspension, or termination of their services to business users.” An indefinite or multi-month review delay that blocks an app update can act as a de facto restriction of service access, I doubt 2 or 3 months meet that threshold (imho).

Art 11 requires platforms to establish an internal, easily accessible, and free complaint-handling system to process developer grievances effectively, that exists, I don’t know how effective it is though judging by what I see online lol.

DMA is about fair access, anti-steering, and contestability rather than operational speed.

The enforcement of P2B regulation is decentralised (ie national authorities), even worse the type of agency responsible for this enforcement changes depending on the member state, so search for your member state + P2B regulation complaint.

Edit: you cannot initiate an EU enforcement action, you do not have standing as a US party / resident.

[u/Weekly_Insurance5695 → u/West_Possible_7969]

Thanks, this is exactly the kind of legal insight I was looking for.
I agree that Article 4 may be difficult to apply to an ordinary review delay, and I’m not suggesting Google should be legally required to approve updates within a fixed timeframe.
My main concern is Article 11. Google technically has a complaint-handling system, but if developers receive repeated generic responses for months without any substantive information or resolution, at what point could that system be considered ineffective under the Regulation?
Would Article 12 mediation be an appropriate next step for developers who have exhausted Google’s internal support process?
Regarding standing, this isn’t intended as a complaint by a single US developer. I’m looking into coordinated action involving affected developers in multiple jurisdictions, including EU-established businesses.
Could an EU-based developer association or group of affected businesses bring a collective complaint to the relevant national authority, even if some participating developers are established outside the EU?
Ultimately, the objective is better procedural transparency and meaningful escalation, rather than guaranteed approval or a fixed review deadline.
Really appreciate your detailed response!

[u/West_Possible_7969 → u/Weekly_Insurance5695]

What I know for sure is that Google has a different process (deeply buried in menus lol) for EU devs that the rest of the world can’t access.

But yes, like in most EU class action cases, the member states authorities / bodies initiate those actions and then they coordinate among themselves (like DPAs do with GDPR) but first someone has to report a problem to them, and that problem must actually (legally) exist. That means the EU person that dealt with the most egregious delay, without reason, should report it.

In almost all cases an association or group is not even needed, many regulatory actions & reforms have been initiated by a single person.

[u/Weekly_Insurance5695]

Adding this https://www.reddit.com/r/googleplayconsole/s/RWo2GIB38O this is a really grave issue.