US Judge Orders Google to Open Android App Store to Competition After Epic Games Win

Oct 7, 2024, 09:45 PM

A U.S. District Judge, James Donato, has ordered Google to open its Android app store to more competition following an antitrust ruling in favor of Epic Games. The ruling mandates that Google must allow third-party app stores on its platform and distribute rival app stores within Google Play starting November 1, 2024, for a period of three years. This decision comes as a remedy for Google's illegal monopoly on the Android app store, which has been deemed to hinder competition. The judge also banned Google from offering financial incentives to discourage competition and from striking deals to launch apps exclusively on the Play Store or preinstall them on device home screens. Google plans to appeal the ruling, arguing that it misrepresents market dynamics between Android and iOS.