Google's Legal Battle with Epic Games: The Fight for App Store Competition
Google's attempt to pause an injunction forcing changes to its Play Store was rejected by a U.S. appeals court. Epic Games' lawsuit against Google accused it of monopolistic practices concerning app distribution. The court's order requires Google to allow rival app stores within its platform, impacting security and privacy concerns.
Alphabet's Google faced a setback as a U.S. appeals court declined to further freeze an order mandating sweeping reforms to its Play Store. The ruling came as part of a lawsuit by Epic Games, the creator of 'Fortnite', demanding more competition in app distribution.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied Google's plea to maintain a hold on the order, which necessitates allowing rival app stores within its Play Store. The decision is a significant aspect of Epic's 2020 lawsuit alleging Google's monopolization of app access and payment on Android devices.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney celebrated the court's decision, while Google contended the injunction could compromise consumer security and privacy. Google may seek intervention from the U.S. Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the legal landscape for tech giants Apple and Google may diverge due to differing court decisions.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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