anticompetitive practices Archives

AppWizard

July 9, 2025

channelnews : Epic Settles Samsung Antitrust Case Over Android App Store Restrictions

Epic Games has settled its antitrust lawsuit against Samsung Electronics, dismissing allegations of collusion with Google to restrict rival app marketplaces on Android devices. The lawsuit, initiated in September, accused Samsung of working with Google to maintain its market dominance, particularly through Samsung's Auto Blocker feature, which was designed to prevent malicious software but also hindered downloads from competing app stores. The settlement removes Samsung from the broader antitrust case, leaving Google as the sole defendant on remaining claims. Both companies deny wrongdoing, with Google calling the lawsuit "meritless." The settlement comes ahead of Samsung's new Galaxy phone announcements and does not disclose specific terms. Epic's ongoing challenges with its mobile app store highlight the difficulties faced by alternative marketplace operators.

BetaBeacon

May 2, 2025

Epic Games takes a jab at Apple during victory lap with latest announcement

Epic Games announced two developer-friendly changes to its store: developers will not be charged for their first ,000,000 in revenue per app per year, and they will be able to launch webshops on the Games Store app to avoid in-app purchase fees.

BetaBeacon

December 13, 2024

Epic Games secures deal to preinstall Fortnite onto Android phones in UK and Spain

Epic Games has partnered with Telefónica to preinstall the Epic Games Store and Fortnite on Android phones in the UK, Germany, Spain, and Spanish-speaking territories of Latin America. This partnership aims to make these games more accessible on millions of Telefónica Android devices and create a more competitive ecosystem for Android players.

AppWizard

October 8, 2024

US Judge Orders Google To Allow Android App Store Competition

A federal judge has ordered Google to implement significant changes to its Play app store following a legal challenge from Epic Games. Judge James Donato's ruling requires Google to allow rival app stores on its platform and to make its entire app catalogue accessible to competitors unless developers opt out. This decision follows a jury trial that found Google's Android app store and billing service to be an illegal monopoly and identified anticompetitive agreements with various companies. The judge emphasized the need to dismantle barriers in the app ecosystem and limited the duration of the changes to three years. The ruling will take effect on November 1, giving Google eight months to develop a strategy for compliance, overseen by a technical committee. Key measures include preventing Google Play’s billing system from being dominant and allowing developers to inform users about alternative payment methods. The ruling also imposes restrictions on Google's practices, such as banning revenue sharing with app distributors and prohibiting incentives for exclusive launches on the Play Store. Google has expressed concerns about potential negative consequences and plans to appeal the decision.

BetaBeacon

October 8, 2024

After defeat against Epic Games, US judge orders Google to allow rivals to set up app stores on Android phones

A US judge has ruled that Google must allow rival app stores access to its Android smartphone operating system, following an antitrust case brought by Epic Games. The injunction, which Google is appealing, restricts certain anticompetitive practices for the next three years, including revenue sharing with potential competitors and requiring developers to exclusively launch apps on the Play Store. Despite being applicable only in the US, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney sees this as an opportunity to create a more competitive Android ecosystem. Phones running on the Android operating system hold a 70% share of the global smartphone market.

AppWizard

October 8, 2024

Judge Orders Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) to Open App Store to Competition – TipRanks.com

A U.S. judge has ordered Alphabet, the parent company of Google, to provide alternatives to its Play Store for downloading applications on Android smartphones. Judge James Donato has prohibited Alphabet from paying fees or sharing revenue to prevent competition with the Google Play app store. This ruling is part of an ongoing antitrust lawsuit initiated by Epic Games, which alleges that Google has engaged in anticompetitive practices since 2020. For the next three years, Google cannot financially incentivize companies to exclusively launch apps on its platform or pay them to avoid competition. Google must also allow competing Android app stores access to its application catalog. Consumer spending on apps reached billion in 2023. Alphabet plans to appeal the ruling, and GOOGL stock has increased by 16.97% in 2024. The stock holds a consensus Strong Buy rating among 39 Wall Street analysts, with an average price target suggesting a potential upside of 24%.

AppWizard

September 30, 2024

Google-Epic App Store Feud Expands in Suit Over Samsung Phone Settings

Epic Games Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Google and Samsung in San Francisco federal court, alleging collusion to suppress rival app marketplaces through default settings on mobile devices. Epic claims that Google's practices monopolize app distribution on Android devices and seeks to halt these anticompetitive actions while pursuing unspecified damages. Samsung's default Auto Blocker feature, designed to protect against malicious software, inadvertently restricts the download of competing Android apps. Epic argues that this feature reinforces Google's dominance, as the Play Store accounts for approximately 80% of all Android app downloads outside of China. The case is titled Epic Games Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., 24-cv-06843.

AppWizard

September 20, 2024

The Google Arts & Culture app continues to amaze me

The Google Arts & Culture app allows users to explore art and cultural treasures, create galleries, morph selfies into artistic interpretations, and discover artworks resembling themselves or their pets. Google is also involved in studying and preserving ancient art, auditing internet software for vulnerabilities, and investing in medical research related to cancer and disease diagnosis. Despite negative perceptions surrounding the company, it engages in numerous commendable activities that contribute positively to society.

AppWizard

July 29, 2024

Epic Games is protesting Samsung’s anticompetitive practices, but users are the ones losing

Samsung's One UI 6.1.1 update has introduced a default setting for its Auto Blocker feature, which restricts the installation of apps from unverified sources, effectively limiting sideloading. This change aims to protect users from malware and USB hardware attacks by blocking unknown apps unless users disable the feature. In response, Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, announced that the company will withdraw Fortnite and other titles from Samsung’s Galaxy Store, advocating for consumer choice in app distribution. This decision reflects Epic's ongoing confrontations with major tech companies regarding app marketplace competition and user autonomy. The changes have raised concerns about anti-competitive behavior, as sideloading is categorized with security threats, potentially favoring Samsung's Galaxy Store and Google Play Store. Accessing Fortnite on Samsung devices has become more challenging as a result.

AppWizard

May 25, 2024

Judge weighs proposed changes to Google’s Android app store

Google is facing legal challenges over alleged anticompetitive practices within the Android app market, following a jury verdict that concluded Google's Play Store had become an illicit monopoly.