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U.S. Judge Orders Google to Open Play Store to Competition Following Epic Games Antitrust Victory

Oct 7, 2024, 06:33 PM

On October 7, 2024, a U.S. federal judge ordered Google to revamp its Android app store policies to allow more competition. The ruling mandates that Alphabet, Google's parent company, remove restrictions preventing developers from establishing rival app marketplaces on the Android platform, significantly affecting the Google Play Store. This decision follows an antitrust case brought by Epic Games, which won against Google earlier this year by arguing that Google's control over app distribution and in-app purchases constituted an illegal monopoly. Judge James Donato's ruling requires Google to permit Android users to download apps and handle in-app transactions through competing platforms, opening the door for increased competition in the mobile app market.