The News
Google must open up the Android app store, Google Play, to competition for at least three years, a US judge ruled Monday. The ruling is the latest legal blow to the tech giant, which saw its search business ruled a monopoly earlier this year and also faces an antitrust case over its ad business.
The decision comes after video game developer Epic Games successfully sued Google in December 2023, arguing that the company’s app store rules and payment policies meant it held an illegal monopoly and stifled competition from rival developers and stores on its devices. Google is set to appeal the ruling.
The judge’s ruling also blocks Google from financially incentivizing app makers to favor the Google Play store over others, a decision which could enable mobile app stores outside the Google and Apple ecosystem to rise in popularity, tech news website The Verge noted.
Shares in Google’s parent company Alphabet dipped following the ruling and were down 2.44% at market close, according to CNBC.