Judge Grants Google's Request to Temporarily Pause Play Store Overhaul in Epic Antitrust Case

Oct 18, 2024, 11:45 AM

Google has secured a temporary stay on a court order that would have required the tech giant to open its Play Store to competing app stores by November 1. US District Judge James Donato had previously issued an injunction in the antitrust case brought by 'Fortnite' maker Epic Games, mandating Google to overhaul its Android app store to give consumers more choice in how they download software. Google appealed the decision to both the district court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that immediate changes would pose 'serious safety, security, and privacy risks' to the Android ecosystem and describing the ruling as 'dangerous.' On October 18, Judge Donato granted Google's request to pause the injunction during the appeals process, delaying the required changes to the Play Store.