Google must allow other storefronts on its Android platform and grant such alternative stores the possibility of offering content from Google’s own Play Store. In addition, third-party payment methods other than those offered by the Play Store must become possible. An American judge has decided this after Epic Games filed a suit.
The court order means that starting in November, Google must allow third-party stores to distribute apps from the Play Store. In such cases, Google will miss out on the 30 percent commission it usually receives for purchases made through its own Play Store. Not surprisingly, Google has already said it will appeal the ruling.
No prioritising of the Play Store
The ruling also prohibits Google from prioritizing the Play Store or discouraging the use of rival app stores among developers. However, app developers can opt out of having their app appear in alternative stores. The court further required Google and Epic to set up a committee to resolve disputes between the two parties. Google will have eight months to comply with the injunction, which only applies in the United States.
Epic Games filed the lawsuit because, according to the company, Google favors its own services and charges an unreasonable ‘app tax’ of 30 percent (that is, the aforementioned commission). Epic also denounced Google’s ‘scare screens,’ which means Google’s warnings to not download apps on Android devices that were not obtained through the official Play Store. Google asked to be allowed to suspend the implementation of the imposed measures until the appeal is heard.
Building on previous ruling
Game company Epic based the suit on a jury verdict from December last year. In it, the jury upheld Epic Games’ charge that Google has an illegal monopoly on payment methods through its app store Google Play, thus thwarting other payment systems.
Epic Games has long disputed Google and Apple over alternative payment methods for in-app purchases from players of its games. Furthermore, administrations in the US and EU are critical of alleged monopoly practices by large tech companies, including these two.
Adjustments to storefronts
In the EU, developers of iPhone apps can now offer apps directly through their websites. This follows the previously announced possibility for developers to provide iOS apps through their own storefronts. Apple implemented these possibilities under pressure from the European Commission under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Google also recently made it possible to update Android apps downloaded via sideloading or from alternative app stores. This can be done through the company’s app store Play Store, eliminating the need to manually download new app versions or use another source for updating.
Read more: Developers allowed to sell iPhone apps through their own websites