US Judge Orders Google to Change App Store Policies for Fair Competition
%20(1).jpg "US Judge Orders Google to Change App Store Policies for Fair Competition")
In a significant court decision, a US judge has directed Google to change the way it operates its app store, following a lawsuit from Epic Games. This ruling is aimed at giving Android users more freedom in how they download apps and make payments.
US District Judge James Donato, based in San Francisco, issued the order, which pushes Google to foster more competition in its Play Store. According to the details shared by Reuters, the judge's decision means that Android users will soon be able to get apps from competing sources and use alternative payment methods. This is a big shift for Google, which has long kept tight control over its app marketplace.
For the next three years, Google must allow rival app stores to exist on Android devices. Moreover, Google is forbidden from paying phone manufacturers to make its Play Store the default option, and it can't offer incentives to other businesses just to push Play Store downloads.
Judge Donato has tasked both Google and Epic Games with forming a three-member team to oversee these changes. Each company will pick one member, and together, those two will select a third member to complete the group. These new rules are set to take effect on November 1, giving Google a small window to adapt.
Epic Games' CEO, Tim Sweeney, celebrated the ruling on social media, calling it "big news." He also hinted that the Epic Games Store, along with other app stores, will be making their way to the Google Play platform by 2025.
Despite this setback, Google isn’t backing down. The tech giant intends to appeal the decision in the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals and hopes to delay the enforcement of the ruling while the appeal is under review.
Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs, expressed frustration, stating, "The Epic verdict missed the obvious: Apple and Android clearly compete."
Google's Antitrust Battles Continue
Epic Games first took Google to court in August 2020, accusing the company of using its Play Store to block competition and charge developers high fees. This case was a major legal blow for Google. In December 2023, a jury ruled that Google had been acting as an illegal monopoly, limiting competition and unfairly profiting from developers. The court’s verdict forced Google to open up the Android platform to alternative app stores and banned the company from offering financial rewards to developers for using its platform exclusively.
Google tried to argue that these changes would be costly and might compromise user privacy and security. However, the judge largely rejected these concerns in an August ruling.
This isn’t the only antitrust battle Google is facing. In another lawsuit, US District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google had been maintaining an illegal monopoly over online searches by stifling competition through unfair practices. In September, the judge gave the Justice Department until the end of the year to suggest potential remedies, amid claims that Google had been paying phone manufacturers to make its search engine the default option on most US smartphones.
Adding to Google’s legal troubles, the company also began a trial in a Virginia federal court in September. This case involves a lawsuit from the Justice Department, accusing Google of monopolizing digital advertising technologies.
Google’s ongoing legal challenges continue to shape its future, with the tech world watching closely to see how these cases unfold.
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