Epic Games Sues Google And Samsung In District Court Over App Store Practices

Epic Games Sues Google And Samsung In District Court Over App Store Practices

Stated that the Auto Blocker feature covertly blocked the ability to install apps from other sources

Fortnite video-maker Epic Games has sued tech giants Google and Samsung in the US District Court for the Central District of California, accusing them of illegally colluding to block competition on Samsung devices.

It has requested the court to prohibit anti-competitive conduct and mandate that Samsung remove Auto Blocker as the default setting on its devices.

Tim Sweeney, Epic’s CEO said the company approached the California court from where it won a long legal battle with Google in 2023. He stated taking the fight to Europe and Asia, amid his long-running battle to force Apple and Google to open their smartphones to other app stores.

Sweeney remarked, "This is a major global fight, which is ultimately for the right of consumers to get all the benefits of competition and choose freely who they want to do business with.”

Epic claimed that the Auto Blocker feature was implemented in coordination with Google to undermine a recent US court decision against Google's app store practices.

It recently launched its app store, allowing users to bypass the Google-run store and offer content directly to smartphone users.

Epic alleged that Auto Blocker surreptitiously blocked the new app store and others, obstructing the ability to install apps from sources other than Google Play Store and Samsung Galaxy Store.

It added that in July 2024, Samsung changed Auto Blocker from an ‘opt-in’ feature to the default setting, forcing users to navigate a cumbersome 21-step process to download apps from third-party stores or the web.

Epic argued that the move cemented Google Play Store's monopoly and violated the jury verdict in Epic's court victory against Google. (The jury had stated that Google's app-store practices, including agreements with phone manufacturers, were illegal).

The American video game and software developer stated, "Allowing this coordinated illegal anti-competitive dealing to proceed hurts developers and consumers and undermines both the jury's verdict and regulatory and legislative progress worldwide.”

In its ongoing battles with major tech companies over app store policies and fees, the company previously sued Apple. Meanwhile, Google argued that its app store practices were monopolistic and harmed developers and consumers.

The new lawsuit comes when there’s increasing scrutiny of big tech companies' market power by regulators and lawmakers worldwide. Europe, Japan and South Korea passed new laws, limiting how tech giants can do business.