antitrust enforcement Archives

AppWizard

October 2, 2026

Challengers Approach: Third Party App Stores Arrive to Google Play

Google has begun allowing rival, third-party app stores to be included within the Google Play Store, providing developers with more options for billing and app distribution. This change follows a court order resulting from Epic Games' antitrust lawsuit against Google, which challenged the company's restrictions on alternative app stores and in-app payment rules. The inclusion of these third-party stores enhances competition within the Android ecosystem, reducing Google's dominance and empowering users and developers with more choices. Users can now opt for alternative app stores if they are dissatisfied with Google's services, improving opportunities for privacy and security.

AppWizard

August 1, 2025

Alphabet’s 2.32% Drop and $5.36B Volume Rank 14th as Legal Ruling Mandates Android App Store Overhaul

On July 31, Alphabet Inc. (GOOG) declined by 2.32% with a trading volume of 0.36 billion, making it the 14th most liquid stock. This decline followed a ruling by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld a federal court decision requiring Google to change its Android app store policies to allow third-party app stores and alternative payment systems. The court rejected Google's arguments against the ruling, which was initially based on findings of anticompetitive practices. Google plans to appeal the decision, while Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney called it a "total victory" and plans to launch the Epic Games Store on Android. The court also dismissed Google's defense regarding competition with Apple's app store. Separately, a strategy of acquiring the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume for one day yielded a return of 166.71% from 2022 to the present, significantly outperforming the benchmark return of 29.18%.