Google to Implement App Store Changes
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to block essential components of a ruling mandating Alphabet’s Google to implement significant alterations to its Play app store, as the company gets ready to challenge a verdict in a lawsuit filed by "Fortnite" developer Epic Games.
The justices rejected Google's plea to temporarily suspend sections of the injunction obtained by Epic in its lawsuit alleging that the tech company monopolizes consumer access to apps on Android devices and payment processes within those apps.
In July, a federal appeals court confirmed the judge's extensive ruling against Google.
The order handed down last year by U.S. District Judge James Donato mandates that Google must permit users to download competing app stores from its Play store and make Play's app catalog accessible to rivals. Those regulations will not become effective until July 2026.
The judge additionally stated that Google must permit developers to add external links in apps, allowing users to circumvent Google's billing system.
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This section of the injunction is scheduled to come into effect later this month. Donato delivered his ruling in a case that Epic brought in 2020 against Google, claiming its prohibitive app store policies breached antitrust regulations. In 2023, Epic achieved victory in a jury trial held in San Francisco.
Google has rejected any misconduct. Google has described Donato's order as without precedent, stating it would lead to reputational damage, safety and security threats, and place the company at a competitive disadvantage if implemented.
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In its filing to the Supreme Court, Google stated that the alterations would significantly impact over 100 million Android users in the U.S. and 500,000 developers. Google announced its intention to submit a complete appeal to the Supreme Court by October 27, potentially enabling the justices to consider the case during their nine-month session that commenced on Monday.
Epic stated that Google is depending on what it referred to as "defective security assertions" to support its dominance over Android devices. Epic had requested the justices to permit Donato's injunction to be implemented "so consumers and developers can take advantage of competition, options, and reduced prices."
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In July, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco upheld the injunction, deciding that the evidence in Epic's lawsuit was "filled with proof that Google's anticompetitive behavior solidified its dominance."
Google encounters additional lawsuits from governmental, consumer, and business plaintiffs disputing its search and advertising business operations.