Court has ruled! Major changes to Google Play

US-based game development company Epic Games filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google, alleging that the tech giant abused its power in the Android market.

In the case, which has been ongoing since 2020, the judge ruled that Google must offer more options for app downloads. Google has been ordered to remove restrictions that compete with "Google Play" and hinder rival marketplaces.

In this context, starting November 1, Google will be prohibited for three years from paying companies to launch their apps exclusively on Google Play. Furthermore, Google will not be able to force app developers to refrain from competing or to use Google Play billing. The app store will also host third-party Android app stores.

The dispute between Google and Epic Games originated in August 2020, when Epic released updates for its Fortnite game that allowed the company to bill customers directly for in-app purchases instead of using app store payment systems.

Subsequently, Google quickly removed Fortnite from its app stores, and Epic Games filed a lawsuit against the company for the ability to use direct billing and to install the Epic store on smartphones without restrictions.

News Source: 12punto