The jury and judge sided with Epic, and it may change Android apps forever.
The future of Google’s app store is at stake in a lawsuit by Fortnite publisher Epic Games. Epic sued Google in 2020 after a fight over in-app purchase fees, claiming the Android operating system’s Google Play store constituted an unlawful monopoly. It wanted Google to make using third-party app stores, sideloaded apps, and non-Google payment processors easier — while Google said its demands would damage Android’s ability to offer a secure user experience and compete with Apple’s iOS.
On December 11th 2023, the jury ruled in Epic’s favor, finding that Google has turned its Google Play app store and Google Play Billing service into an illegal monopoly, answering yes to every question in front of them about Google’s monopoly power, anticompetitive behavior, and the illegal ties between the different parts of its business. Here’s a rough summary of why the jury might have decided that way.
In October 2024, the judge issued his final, potentially monumental decision — cracking the Google Play Store open to rival stores for three years, among many other things. We’re now waiting to see if Google manages to appeal, and stay, the permanent injunction.
Wondering why Google lost when Apple won? Here’s an attempt to answer that question.
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source https://www.theverge.com/23945184/epic-v-google-fortnite-play-store-antitrust-trial-updates