A federal jury just ruled that Google’s app store is breaking antitrust laws by being an illegal monopoly. This decision comes after a long battle between Epic Games, creators of “Fortnite,” and Google. The jury thinks Google’s app store practices are against US antitrust laws, and they’ve unfairly controlled how Android apps are distributed and priced.
Epic and Google fought in court for weeks over issues like the fees for in-app purchases and rules that stop other app stores on Android devices.
This decision might weaken the power of app store owners who’ve defended themselves from monopoly claims for years.
Epic’s CEO celebrated the victory against Google after a month of court hearings.
Google isn’t happy about the decision. They plan to challenge it because it could change how their app store works. Google insists that Android and Google Play offer more options than other mobile platforms and compete strongly with Apple’s App Store and other Android app stores.
This verdict might kick off another legal process that could change how Google collects fees from developers or allows other app stores to work on Android devices.
It’s interesting because Epic has a similar case against Apple’s app store, but that didn’t go well for them in lower courts. Epic’s now appealing to the US Supreme Court.
This fight started because app developers criticized Apple and Google for strict rules and high fees to get onto their app stores. Epic intentionally broke the rules in a plan called “Project Liberty” to challenge these companies legally.
Apple and Google say their app store rules make sure the software on their platforms is safe. Google also says Android allows users to download apps from other sources, while Apple limits installations to its app store.
This decision was seen as a big win against Google’s control. Some experts think it might trigger significant changes in how the internet works, like app stores becoming more open and the power balance shifting.
Source：CNN
