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Google Will Make Rival Android App Stores Easier to Find After Judge Says Process Is 'Not Acceptable' Yet
Judge James Donato said Google must let Android users find and install rival app stores more easily after Epic showed unnecessary steps in Play Store search.
- District Judge James Donato ordered Google yesterday to remove unnecessary steps when users install rival Android app stores through the Play Store, mandating the process become as straightforward as downloading standard applications.
- This ruling enforces the 2024 injunction stemming from Epic Games' antitrust victory, where a jury found nearly three years ago that Google held an illegal monopoly over Android app distribution.
- Donato criticized a 'view' button requirement that precedes the 'install' option, calling these steps deliberate "anticompetitive friction" designed to deter users from accessing rival stores like Aptoide Games.
- Google must implement these changes within one week, with a deadline of August 20, and has not yet indicated whether it will appeal the court's directive.
- Aptoide became the first rival store to launch on the Play Store on August 10, though the court's order aims to ensure third-party stores appear in search results like standard applications.
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Judge forces Google to remove friction from third-party app store installations
Google has recently started distributing third-party app stores through its Play Store in the US, following a court ruling and its settlement with Epic Games. Now, Google has been ordered by US District Judge James Donato to remove its scary warnings that are shown when users want to install a third-party app store from Google Play. According to the court, Google is engaging in "anticompetitive friction" intended to prevent users from installing…
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Total News Sources19
Leaning Left3Leaning Right1Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution56% Center
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources are Center
56% Center
L 33%
C 56%
11%
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