A federal judge in California has granted Google a temporary reprieve regarding an order that mandates significant changes to its Android app store, Play, stemming from an antitrust lawsuit initiated by Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite. This decision, rendered by U.S. District Judge James Donato in San Francisco on Friday, postpones the enforcement of the required overhaul until November 1st, allowing for additional legal scrutiny.
Details of the Ruling
The injunction issued on October 7th compelled Google to enhance consumer options for downloading software. However, Google contended that implementing these changes could pose considerable safety, security, and privacy risks to the Android ecosystem. Judge Donato’s ruling enables the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review Google’s separate request to suspend the order. Nevertheless, the judge opted not to extend the suspension for the entirety of Google’s broader appeal.
In response to the temporary pause, Google expressed relief, stating, “We’re pleased with the District Court’s decision to temporarily pause the implementation of dangerous remedies demanded by Epic, as the Court of Appeal considers our request to further pause the remedies while we appeal.”
Epic Games’ Reaction
Conversely, Epic dismissed the ruling as a mere procedural step, accusing Google of employing fearmongering tactics and unsubstantiated security threats to maintain its dominance over Android devices.
Epic’s lawsuit previously resulted in a jury concluding that Google had unlawfully monopolized the methods by which consumers download apps and conduct in-app purchases on Android devices. Judge Donato’s order incorporated several of Epic’s proposed remedies based on this jury finding.
Implications of the Order
The order mandated that Google permit users to access third-party app stores through the Play Store and to facilitate alternative in-app payment methods. Additionally, it prohibited Google from financially incentivizing device manufacturers to preinstall its app store and from sharing Play Store revenue with other app distributors.
In its defense, Google has appealed the jury’s antitrust findings, asserting that the Play Store competes directly with Apple’s App Store and challenging claims of monopolistic behavior.
